Powerless
by thequietcorner
Summary: When she left, he had no power over her. In spite, he wished her a future filled with being powerless. Destiny linked them, so both shared the curse he uttered; Jareth as an unlucky owl, Sarah as an unhappy wife. When Fate draws them back together, things will never be the same. JxS Rated T for language, sporadic violence and some abuse. *ON HIATUS 'TIL SEPTEMBER*
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it. All characters are property of their respective owners. I am simply borrowing them for a while. No profit is involved.

* * *

The boy paced the room, stalking left and right, and up and down. Going forward and backward and nowhere in particular. Hoggle watched from the shadow of an archway, unsure of what he should do.

"I see you over there, Higgle." the wild fey boy said without looking in the dwarf's direction. "Is there something you need, or could you leave your monarch in peace?"

"The name's Hoggle! Hog-gull. _Hoggle."_

"Whatever. Are you following me for a reason? Have the goblins caught themselves on fire or something?" the young King asked impatiently.

"I was just checkin' on yeh, Yer Majesty." Hoggle admitted, dooming himself to the Bog with every word. "Yeh looked awful glum all day today, and yeh didn't even bother kicking any goblins or nothin'."

Jareth sighed and folded his arms, turning to regard his subject with an imperious stare. "And since when is my happiness any of your concern?"

"It's not, Yer Grace. But even I know what day it is today."

"My birthday. Yes, yes." Jareth replied dismissively. "We fey don't really go in for that sort of nonsense. Unlike you sentimental dwarves who insist on celebrating every little inconsequential thing."

Hoggle had seen Jareth stealing glances out the castle windows when he thought no one was looking. The boy really had been hoping for some small acknowledgement, but none came. He was a horrible liar.

"I don't remember this room, Yer Majesty. Is it new?" Hoggle asked, hoping to change the subject.

"It is. A birthday gift to myself, I suppose." Jareth replied in a bored tone.

"It's real strange, if you don't mind my sayin'. Stairs everywhere yeh look! How are you supposed to get anywhere in a crazy place like this?"

"A human came up with the design." Jareth replied, sitting down on the stairs. "Some Escher fellow. Every once in a while, one of those humans comes up with something remarkable."

Hoggle sat down nearby. "I don't get it. What's remarkable 'bout it?"

"No matter how far you walk or how fast you run, you're still going nowhere." Jareth explained. "It's a metaphor of existence."

Hoggle frowned and tried to come up with something to say, but the little king seemed content with sitting in silence. The dwarf looked around at the twisting, bending room and felt slightly sick. If this place represented someone's life, they were truly going nowhere.

Jareth might be a powerful king, but he was also a child. Children needed words of encouragement and guidance. But what could he say?

"Yeh know, I thinks everybody is born for a reason. They don't always know what their destiny is, or where their path'll take 'em, but they has a purpose and reason for being. You might feel like yer life looks like this right now, but that'll change once you figure out what yer meant to be doin'."

"I was born to be the Goblin King-"

"The most obvious answer isn't always the right one, just so yeh know. Yer a great king already, even at yer age, but there could be more to yer life than that. I guess alls I'm sayin' is not to pigeonhole yerself. When yeh know the beginning and yeh think yeh know the end, life is awful boring."

"Now that's something we can both agree on. Life is boring!" Jareth admitted with a sigh. "You paint a pretty picture, but that's all it is. What can I be expected to do with myself when I'm duty bound to this land and title? It doesn't exactly give me much leeway."

"Yer a clever little brat. I'm sure you'll figure out somethin'."

"I _am_ clever, aren't I? You could be onto something, Haggle-"

"It's Hoggle!"

"Whatever. You've given me a lot to think about, so I suppose I'll forget that you called your lord and master a 'brat.' Just this once, of course."

"Of course." Hoggle agreed.

They both stood and faced each other. Jareth was eye to eye with the dwarf. By his next birthday, Hoggle knew that the Goblin King would tower over him. He didn't relish the thought. He was scared of Jareth as it was.

"Goodnight, Hogsbreath."

"Happy Birthday, kid."

"Such sentimentality." Jareth tisked, giving the dwarf what was probably a playful shove.

As he made his way to his home, Hoggle considered his luck. He had managed to comfort the boy without getting himself Bogged. It was a small miracle. The dwarf truly believed in what he said, but he hoped with all his heart that it was true in Jareth's case. Jareth was no ordinary fey, after all.

What if the boy really was fated to live a life of going nowhere fast? Of climbing and running and struggling with nothing to show for it?

The next morning, Hoggle was awakened by the sound of rocks grinding against each other and the earth outside rolling and shifting into new shapes. He stumbled out of his little cottage and followed the noise until it lead him to the source of the disturbance.

"Ah, there you are, Haggle." Jareth greeted from his place at the top of a knoll. "Come and behold the newest addition to the Goblin Kingdom."

Hoggle climbed up to stand next to the boy and looked down at the creation. "What the hell is it?" he asked.

"It's a labyrinth. Another one of those human ideas that struck me as unique."

"It looks like a maze of some sort."

"That's because it _is_ a maze."

"Who's gonna have to solve it?"

"Not you, if that's what you're thinking. No. I came up with an idea for a little game I could play in my spare time to quell my boredom."

Jareth shoved a bright red book in Hoggle's hands and then continued his work on the labyrinth.

"This is _not_ what I had in mind!" the dwarf sputtered as he read.

Jareth just smiled, and Hoggle wondered about the lasting consequences of what he had said to the boy. No good could come of interfering with the realm Above.

* * *

"Just wait 'til you see what we've cooked up for stupid Ms. Locklear!"

Aaron rolled his eyes and followed his classmates, hating the fact that he was saddled with them for the science project. Science was usually one of his favorite subjects, but having to pull all the weight in a team of three just didn't seem right. He could refuse to work, but then they would all fail. That also didn't seem fair. Maybe Ms. Locklear deserved whatever the guys had cooked up for her after all. She had surely done this to him on purpose. Not that Aaron could blame her for wanting the two tyrants to graduate and leave her small corner of the world forever.

"Yeah. I've got it hid in the shed. My mom would shit bricks if she saw."

The trio worked their way towards the shed through the woods behind the house so the parental units wouldn't see what they were up to. As they neared more level ground, Aaron thanked his mother for the thick-soled boots she insisted he needed. The broken bottles on the ground weren't a problem for the boys who dodged them regularly, but they would have been a nightmare for him.

Finally, the beer bottle minefield was behind them, and they stood in front of a dilapidated old shed. Jason gingerly opened the door and motioned for the others to follow.

"Okay, so here's the idea. You write the report, and we'll do the rest." The twins looked at each other and snickered. Aaron didn't follow.

"If I write the report, what's left to do?" asked Aaron, agitated. "And why the hell did we come all this way if that's the big plan?"

"We need you to know what to write the report about, stupid. An opportunity kinda fell in our laps, but we need you to pull it all together. You need to write an A+ report. Something undeniably smart. Something they won't be able to punish us for." explained Chris. "Pull it out, Jason."

Jason pulled out a whisky box and thrust it at Aaron. With some hesitation, the boy looked inside. A dead bird lay at the bottom of the box, feathers stained and ruffled. The bitter tang of blood surrounded it.

"You guys don't know what this is?" asked Aaron, trying not to laugh.

"We know it's an owl, dumbshit. I don't know what kind it is or anything like that, so quit smiling like a jackass." replied Chris.

"It's just a barn owl, which is about as exciting as a bluejay or raven. Why would we write a report about something so common?"

"You just write a report about it, and focus on biology and stuff. We plan to make it an interactive presentation. Just imagine the look on the teacher's face when we hand her a ziplock baggy with the bird's bloody heart in it! Or when we pull out the dissected carcass!"

"The report is two weeks away. It won't keep that long."

"We're gonna use a freezer, genius. Geez, you're as weird as-" Chris trailed off then, but Aaron knew what he almost said.

"Fine. I was drawing a blank about what to write about anyway." said Aaron, closing the top of the box and heading for the door. "I'll do this on one condition."

"Depends on the condition."

"I'm doing the dissecting."

"Damn it! I wanted to do that part." grunted Chris, looking glum.

"Do you know anything about bird anatomy?" asked Aaron, knowing full well the answer.

"No."

"Have you ever dissected anything before?"

"Um-"

"Successfully." Aaron clarified, swallowing his disgust.

"No. Have you?"

"Yes. I didn't ditch on frog day."

"We were sick."

"Whatever. Just be grateful I'm going along with this plan of yours."

Aaron scrabbled back through the trees to the road behind the house and then began walking home, fuming. So he was as weird as his mother, huh? Fine! He'd show them weird.

But first, he had an owl to bury.


	2. Chapter 2: Your Touch

Jareth awakened to the muffled sounds of grunting and panting coming from outside the box. He would have been content to lay back and doze in a quiet corner of the container he found himself in, but an urgent sense of dread compelled him to ponder what was making the infernal noise nearby. The metallic thump of something banging against a rock and the scent of freshly dug earth brought Jareth to his senses. That sound was a shovel, which likely meant those boys had decided to bury him. While this was slightly better than the original plan of being chopped into pieces, he desperately tried to find a way to escape his prison. Not because he wanted to live, because he didn't. He simply didn't want to spend the rest of his existence buried alive.

Jareth couldn't die; he had learned that lesson the hard way time and time again. Drowning, burning, shooting. He couldn't die, but he could suffer all the lovely pain and sensations of death. He didn't think he could bear the darkness, the crushing weight of packed earth all around him or the burning pain of suffocating lungs for all eternity.

Summoning all of his remaining strength, he forced his body to move once. And then twice. To his disappointment, all his efforts only moved his leaden corpse about an inch. That was the last of his energy reserves, and it peeved him greatly. The once great and mighty Goblin King, reduced to such a state. He could only hope Sarah was suffering at this moment as well.

His physical energy might have been spent, but his mind worked itself wildly. There had to be something he could do. Suddenly the flaps of the box were thrown open, allowing blinding sunlight to stream in the once dark and peaceful space. Jareth hissed in pain, but it was a purely mental action; his body made no sound. Jareth braced himself, expecting the boys to dump him out as rudely as they put him in. Instead, gentle hands reached in and grabbed his mangled body.

The hands smoothed his rumpled feathers down and a voice sighed sadly. "It's not fair!"

_Oh, of all the things this boy could have said. _thought Jareth to himself. She was the last person he wanted to think about right now. Not only did the kid say his *least* favorite phrase before throwing him into a pit of endless darkness, but he said it exactly like her.

Curiosity burned as the hands continued to hold him almost reverently.

"What are you doing out there?" called a distant voice.

"I'm just taking care of something." yelled the boy, making Jareth's head split with pain.

"Dinner's on the table, honey. Let's eat before your father gets home."

"I can't! I have to do this first." The boy's voice trembled at the end. Jareth heard it, and apparently his mother did too judging by the soft footfalls heading towards them. The woman gasped and then came to a stop nearby.

"Mom, what if it's not dead?"

"It looks pretty dead to me, son."

"But... what if it's not? What if I bury it and it wakes up or something?"

"It wouldn't wake up."

"But it feels almost warm to me."

Jareth felt a bit of hope. Maybe this boy wasn't as stupid as the last two. He certainly wasn't as cruel.

"That's from your own body heat, sweety."

_Damn that woman!_ thought Jareth angrily.

The boy didn't move and for a moment no one spoke. Then a shadow fell across Jareth's face and a larger hand tentatively brushed his head. Relief like nothing Jareth had ever felt before pulsed through his veins and he turned into the touch. For that moment, everything was inexplicably right in the world. Then in the next moment, it was gone.

"Mom! It moved!" cried the boy excitedly.

"Yes, it most certainly did." replied the woman in a tired voice. "You know what this means, right?"

"We have to hide it from dad." answered the boy flatly. "Maybe we should just bury it now and be done with it."

"No, no. Now that we know it's alive, it's our responsibility to keep it that way. I'll deal with your father."

The boy's grip on Jareth became painfully tight. "I don't want you to have to do that."

"You know how he is. If it isn't one thing, it's another. At least this time, it will be worth it. And who knows, the owl might not even last the night. It's alive, sure. But look at the poor thing. The chances of survival are slim."

Jareth should have been more offended at how hopeful the boy's mother sounded regarding his prospective death, but he was far too busy wondering at what had just happened. He had felt his powers, if only for a brief moment. And that could only mean one thing.

That careworn woman was once his Sarah Williams.

* * *

Song in title: Your Touch by The Black Keys


	3. Chapter 3: Sick Cycle Carousel

Sarah had a hard time finding a good place for their 'patient,' as her boy had taken to calling the owl. The barn was out of the question, the tool shed was too cold and drafty, and the chicken coop was the property of a fairly ruthless rooster named Tiny. The garage was briefly considered, but then dismissed just as quickly. _He_ would find it there. Sarah hated to think how that would end.

"Let me keep him in my room, Mom. If only for the night." Aaron begged.

"One night will become two, and then two will become three..." replied Sarah hesitantly.

"Only if he lives that long. And you said yourself that he probably won't make it. Please! I don't want him to die alone." Aaron's eyes were wet and bright, which probably meant he had already formed an attachment to the creature.

"Alright. But promise me that you won't take it too hard when nature takes its course." replied Sarah, relenting.

Aaron stood up taller. "Of course. I'm not a baby anymore, Mother."

"I know, sweety. It seems like you grow taller every time I look at you." said Sarah with a sigh. "Could you do me a favor and stop growing?"

"Not a chance, Mom!" replied Aaron with a bright smile.

Aaron put on a brave face, but Sarah knew her son was more sensitive than he let on. Surprisingly, finding this owl had caused Aaron to drop his guard and act like a child again. How long had it been since he had let anyone see him cry? When was the last time he seemed unsure of anything? Sarah couldn't remember.

Sarah mentally kicked herself for cutting that rare moment short, but she couldn't fully regret the warning either. He would always be her little baby, and she wanted to protect him from hurt in any way she could. And white barn owls certainly equaled hurt in Sarah's book.

The two of them brought the owl into the boy's room and made the box more comfortable by adding some old towels and straw to the bottom. Sarah decided that keeping the owl warm with a hot water bottle was a good idea, and that was her contribution to the effort. Aaron dug out the turkey baster from the kitchen and foraged a can of meat gravy from the pantry. Sarah knew feeding their guest something like that would probably kill it, but she didn't bother telling her son. Anything that sped up the process was merciful.

The owl appeared to be dead until Aaron tried feeding it. The poor thing tried to escape the gravy Aaron dropped into its mouth and only swallowed in order to breathe freely again. Aaron used this instinct to his advantage and managed to get the bird to ingest a few mouthfuls. It wasn't going to save its life, but it made the boy feel better.

"Dad should be home by now." said Aaron with a frown.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Now that your patient has eaten, it's time for you to eat too. I can practically hear your stomach from here." Sarah joked. Truth was, she was worried but didn't want to show it. Her new goal in life was to get her son in bed before her husband got home, and the sooner he ate, the better.

They shared a quiet dinner and then Sarah shooed her son up to bed. It was a Friday, but the boy didn't complain. Either he was too fixated on the owl to notice, or he knew more about how things went than he should. Sarah did the dishes and tidied the house, trying to ignore the dread in her stomach. He had promised. He had given his word.

Maybe it was a flat tire. Maybe the car broke down. Maybe he was in a car wreck. There were a million things that could have happened, and Sarah felt guilty for catching herself hoping.

When the front door banged open at 2:28am, Sarah knew he'd been drinking again, just like he swore he wouldn't.

His immediate reaction to seeing Sarah sitting on the couch was intense anger. "What are you doing up?" he hissed, slamming the door shut behind him.

"I was worried-"

"Worried 'bout what?"

"You didn't call. I didn't know if you were safe." Sarah explained, trying to keep her voice steady. She had went to bed once before, and he threatened to leave her over it. _'I could have been laying in a ditch somewhere, and you went to bed?' _The aftermath of that episode was terrible, and Sarah knew she had to pretend to care, whether she really did or not.

"I'm a grown man. I do what I want, when I want. But here you sit, waiting for me like you're my freakin' mother." he sneered down at her and then grabbed a fistful of her hair. "Okay, mommy. Get your ass in there and bring me dinner." he thrust Sarah in the direction of the kitchen and then staggered over to his chair.

Sarah's scalp burned and her eyes stung. She dried her eyes quickly and took his plate out of the refrigerator. She watched the plate turning in the microwave without seeing it.

_He had been doing so well for so long! _she thought. _How could he throw it all away?_

Seven months sober had been a new record. It was too good to be true, Sarah realized. The heavy cologne, the frequent trips to the store, the fact that he had went out of his way to be kind. _I should have known! All the signs were there._

Sarah took the plate and set it on the table in front of her husband, who appeared to be asleep. Sarah didn't dare remove the plate without being sure. With a heavy heart, she headed up to their bedroom for a good cry.

_I can't live like this!_

Sarah quietly peeked into Aaron's room and saw the boy sleeping on the extreme edge of the bed, arm extended down to where his patient slept, hand resting on the owl's feathery middle.

_And yet, I have to. I can and will, because I must._

* * *

Song in Title: Sick Cycle Carousel by Lifehouse


	4. Chapter 4: Imaginary

As soon as the lights went out, Jareth began thinking of revenge. Turning the boy into a goblin wouldn't be close to punishment enough for nearly choking him to death with gravy. Gravy! Owls certainly don't eat gravy.

Jareth knew the kid's heart was in the right place, but he didn't want to be reasonable. He wanted to be angry.

Sarah was married with a son. Over the years, Jareth had taken solace in the fact that Sarah's suffering was equal in measure to his, but so far, was that the case? No. She played house while the former Goblin King was reduced to living in the mortal world as an owl. Not just an owl, but a cursed owl at that.

The world worked against him at every turn. If a mouse came to him easily, it was because it was poisoned. If he found shelter before a storm, it was because a bigger and badder beast lay in wait in the shadows. If the wind carried him willingly, it was because he was headed in the wrong direction.

Cursed. He was cursed in everything he did. But here was his dear Sarah, living in peace and security on a small farm in a sleepy town. This was certainly a step down from what the mighty Princess had felt entitled to all those years ago when he offered her everything and she had refused, but it wasn't dreadful. It wasn't even terrible.

It was just frightfully boring.

Boring. At least his life wasn't boring. Never a dull moment, actually._ But still, it's just not-_

No! He would not start saying that to himself.

The little boy had planned on staying up all night but was already snoring and drooling all over his pillow. Now that Jareth could see his rescuer clearly, he realized that the child was young. Young enough to be wished away. He had imagined him to be older, somehow. Even in sleep, the child's hand stayed on the owl's stomach protectively, and it warmed the former Goblin King in more ways than one. It felt odd to be looked after.

He heard Sarah moving around downstairs, washing dishes and sweeping. She tried to hum a tune but fell short. It was getting quite late when he heard her take a seat in the living room. She was waiting up for her dear husband, he mused. Maybe the universe had conspired to settle the score and the man was laying dead somewhere. The thought would have cheered him if it weren't for the small hand tethered to his midsection. If the once Champion of the Labyrinth got what was coming to her, this child would suffer as well. He didn't really like the thought.

He dozed and was startled awake when the front door slammed shut. "What are you doing up?" a male voice yelled. Sarah's soft tones reached his ears as she tried explaining herself to her husband. What's this? Was there trouble in Paradise after all? Jareth could only hope.

The rest of their exchange was nasty, and Jareth thought he heard Sarah lose her footing in the kitchen. He told himself that he felt pleasure when he heard her obediently fixing a meal for her husband, but he kept seeing her in his mind as a fiery young woman, glaring at him and telling him that he had no power over her. That was the Sarah he remembered.

Jareth heard a plate set down in the living room with a dull clink and then soft footfalls brought the object of his attention to the doorway. The door opened a crack and spilled a stream of light into the room, blocking her from view. This irritated Jareth greatly, because for some inexplicable reason, he wanted to see her. To know what she looked like when humbled.

The door shut and he heard her lay down in the adjacent room. Her broken sobs seemed incredibly loud, but the boy didn't stir because he had the dull hearing of a human. Finally, the weeping abated and her breathing evened out. The peace didn't last long. The man downstairs woke up and cursed loudly before heading up the stairs. He paused at Aaron's door for a second before continuing to their bedroom. A dull slap rang through the house followed by a sudden gasp.

"Get out. Go sleep somewhere else, and get rid of that shit on the plate."

It sounded like Sarah might have had a little help leaving the room before the door was slammed behind her. Aaron stirred and opened his eyes, unaware of what woke him up. The boy immediately looked down to see how Jareth was doing and was pleased with what he saw.

"You're awake and looking better!" the boy whispered with excitement. He looked at the clock and turned back to the owl. "It's almost 5am. It's a little early, but I think we can say you've technically made it through the night. You're one step closer to recovery."

The boy hopped out of bed and headed downstairs to get more gravy, leaving Jareth alone with his thoughts. Oh yes, there was trouble in Paradise. He had apparently misjudged Sarah's fate. It might not have been as severe as his own, but if this evening was any indication, it wasn't the life he had initially thought it was. This fairness should have pleased him, but instead he kept hearing the slap and gasp. It made him queasy. Or maybe that was just the gravy.

He heard Aaron asking why his mother was up, and she claimed his father was snoring so loudly that she decided sleeping on the couch would be better. The boy was naive enough to believe it.

"Come sleep in my room, Mom. That couch is way too short to sleep on." said Aaron.

"I don't want to disturb you."

"You wouldn't be disturbing me. But if you don't want to, we could just stay up. I could make you coffee and breakfast."

"Your dad doesn't like us making breakfast too early in the morning, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah. He doesn't like the smell. It's not that early though."

"It's Saturday. He'll want to sleep in while he can. Which is what you're usually doing on a Saturday. How's the owl?"

"He's awake and alert! I'm going to feed him more and see how he does."

"I'm surprised he made it."

"I am too. Wanna come see?"

"Sure. As long as we don't wake up your father."

When the two of them came into the room, Jareth finally got to take a look at her. Her eyes were puffy and pink, and she looked like she hadn't slept for a few days. But she was undeniably Sarah, and she was more beautiful than he remembered.

Sarah made eye contact and Jareth felt sure that she knew it was him, but then she looked away. "Need help with that?" she asked, eyeing the gravy and baster.

"No, I've got it." replied Aaron as he grabbed Jareth and propped him up for his force feeding. Instinct kicked in and Jareth got away from the boy, hissing and ruffling up. Sarah snatched up the owl before he realized what was happening and sat down with a wince. "Let me see it." she ordered, reaching for the food. The boy obeyed and soon Sarah was coming at Jareth with the gravy.

"Please." she said, looking down at the owl in her arms. Jareth thought about it. He was well armed with talons that could rip and tear, and she was wearing a thin nightshirt that would offer little protection from his claws. But he thought back to earlier and relented. Hurting her wasn't an option. Not for him, anyway.

She was merciful and only forced him to eat a small amount before switching over to water, which he drank up gratefully. While in her arms, he felt his body healing rapidly. It was his powers, so close to the surface, yet miles away from reach. Aaron was dozing on the bed and Sarah was content to just sit and stroke the owl in her arms.

_Now I have two to keep safe. _Sarah thought to herself tiredly. _You're a perfect distraction though. _she mused, looking at Jareth thoughtfully. _If you keep Aaron busy, you're sure to be worth all the hell I'll have to pay when he finds out about you._

So he could hear Sarah's thoughts now? They shared the same power, so that wasn't surprising. But why didn't she at least make an effort to use the power she held? Didn't she feel it just bubbling under the surface, waiting for her to draw it out? Was his spell so strong that she couldn't break it?

_You should be worrying about yourself. _Jareth thought, pressing into her touch without thinking about the absurdity of it. _Where's the fiery girl I once loved? _

_Fate is cruel. _Sarah thought absently. _To bring a reminder of him to me now, when I miss him the most._

Jareth stared at her, unnerved.

_If only those dreams had been real. Life was so much easier when I believed in make believe and fantasy. When I believed in enchanted labyrinths and handsome Goblin Kings. When I believed in happily ever after._

No wonder she hadn't broken the spell. She no longer believed.

* * *

Song in Title: Imaginary by Evanescence


	5. Chapter 5: Let My Love Open the Door

Aaron watched his mother with the owl, trying to think back to the last time he had seen her enjoy the simple pleasure of an animal's company. When he was little, the family owned a cat that his mother was especially fond of, but it disappeared one day and they never saw it again. Her goat ended up going to a neighbor's farm for reasons he couldn't remember, and the family dog had to be put down after his father had mistaken it for a fox in the chicken pen. That fact that it took five shots to realize this was still a mystery to Aaron. Animals were a constant part of farm life, yet Sarah always steered clear of that arena thereafter, pulling her weight with gardening, housekeeping and herbs instead. Their new dog actually acted as if Sarah didn't exist.

_At this rate, she is going to be mighty attached. _thought Aaron to himself. He considered repeating her words from yesterday, but then decided against it. He wasn't a smart mouth. At least not to his mother.

It was odd that the owl was healing so well. Gravy was a desperate move on Aaron's part, and it really should have killed the creature off. Now that it looked like the owl might actually have a shot at recovery, Aaron had some research to do. How could he clean the patient? Should he try to splint and bandage the nearly ruined wing? What on earth should he feed it?

Mother was sleeping sitting up now, and Aaron decided to get on with his day without disturbing her. She had looked so tired. Or sick. Aaron couldn't help but worry about her health at times like these and he hated feeling so helpless. That was part of the reason his grades mattered so much to him. His father was a farmer and manager at the family business, but Aaron would be a doctor.

Aaron locked eyes with the owl and pressed a finger to his lips. The owl seemed to raise its eyebrows at him in response, but it didn't make any noise when the boy left the room. Quietly, he slipped into the bathroom and found that the pocket door leading to the master bedroom was wide open, his father sprawled out on the bed, stark naked and dead to the world. With great care, Aaron slowly pulled the door closed and then locked it. It was far too early in the morning for this, he decided.

_Quit being a baby, Aaron._ he chided.

Aaron stepped up to the toilet and gasped when he stepped in something cold and wet. He flipped on the light to confirm his suspicions: He was standing in a puddle of urine. The toilet seat was covered in messy droplets and mini rivers, and the lid looked like a scene out of a horror movie, only dripping with thick pee instead of blood. Aaron stifled a gag and grabbed the nearest towel. Showering while his father was in bed so close by wasn't an option, so he made due with the sink, wishing for the millionth time that they had two bathrooms instead of just one. Once his feet were clean enough to walk out of the bathroom with, he tiptoed downstairs and grabbed some cleaning supplies. He frowned as he mopped up the mess, remembering the last time the bathroom had looked like this.

_Daddy promised me that he had quit for good._

Aaron didn't try to delude himself into thinking anything other than the truth had happened. His mother's worry, his dad staying out so late and now this mess all over the bathroom proved it.

Drinking wasn't a problem for everybody, Aaron knew. But his father had a mean streak even when he was stone sober.

Aaron finished his task and then went out to the garage to grab his laundry, all thoughts of breakfast gone. When things got bad, there was always one steady constant he could count on in his life: Chores.

It was late morning when Aaron got done, and his parents were still sleeping. He instinctively knew that his father would be angry if he saw Sarah resting in his room, so he made a pot of coffee and decided to wake her up kindly himself. With a cup of coffee in one hand and a can of sardines in the other, he made his way up the stairs as quietly as possible, not wanting to explain this strange combination to his old man.

Sarah and the owl were right where he had left them, but his mother's head had fallen back against his bed at an awkward angle. He couldn't imagine the headache that would cause.

"Good morning, sunshine." he whispered softly, using the words she used to wake him up as long as he could remember.

"Role reversal." she mumbled, casting her son a mock glare. "Couldn't I sleep just a little longer? Saturday only comes once a week, you know."

The owl didn't seem to appreciate being woke up and he definitely didn't enjoy going back into the box, but Aaron wanted him in a less conspicuous place should his dad walk in. Sarah moved to sit on Aaron's bed and smiled when the cup was pressed into her hands.

"Do you think he could eat these?" Aaron asked, showing her the can.

"It's worth a try. You'll have to watch him carefully, though. Wouldn't want him to choke."

Aaron opened the can, and then jumped and let out a tiny shriek at the owl's sudden reaction. The bird's head popped out of the box and his feathers fanned out massively as he stared at the can. Childishly, Aaron pressed his finger to his lips and told the owl to be quiet. Coincidentally, the owl's feathers flattened a little and he made no further attempt to lunge at the can.

Sarah was giggling softly at his expense, Aaron realized. He looked at her, feeling sheepish.

"That was one of the funniest looking things ever." she admitted. "I think it's safe to say that, yes, he's interested in that fish!"

Aaron decided to go with it, because it was worth it to see her smile. "I'm scared now. I should have brought up tongs to feed it with. But now, I don't know if it will let me leave."

"Do you want me to do it?"

"No. I want to... sort of."

Gingerly, Aaron held out a sardine and watched in fear and fascination as the bird stretched out its neck and swallowed the entire thing in one shot, coming dangerously close to his fingers, yet not touching his skin.

"Where did he come from?" asked Sarah. "He seems pretty tame."

"I got him from some kids at school." replied Aaron with a frown. Ah yes, he still had to deal with them. Should he tell them that he had buried the owl? That was a safer explanation than telling them the truth and letting them know that the owl had sprung back to life at the first sign of human kindness. The twins wouldn't be able to resist testing to see how much worse the creature could recover from. The thought made him sick.

It was calm and quiet, and Aaron felt an urge to confide in his mother, to let her know what was going on in his life and what he struggled with. It seemed like the worst possible time, but was it?

Aaron pondered whether he should say what was on his mind as he continued feeding the owl. Maybe she needed something else to think about right now. Maybe she would welcome the distraction. Wasn't that what he was doing in his own way right now?

For so long, Aaron had sought to protect his mother. He acted like a grown up as much as possible and kept her in the dark about his problems, but this had driven them apart. He loved her, but he wasn't close to her, and they were both rather lonely as a result.

_What's the worst that could happen? _

"I'm planning to fail the upcoming science project." stated Aaron in a conversational tone. "I'll bring home nothing short of an F. Would it bother you, Mother, if I failed on purpose?"

Sarah stared at him, aghast. "You're joking, right?"

Aaron shook his head. "I'm not."

"Why in the world would you do something like that? Science is your favorite!"

"One of my favorites." he corrected automatically. "I have my reasons. I just need to know the costs before I make my final choice. I need to know if it will change how you feel about me."

Aaron glanced at his mother, gauging her reaction. No fainting, paling or swearing. That was good. She stared back at him with concern and what appeared to be growing curiosity.

"Tell me." she said simply. And Aaron did.

* * *

Song in Title: Let My Love Open the Door by Audio Adrenaline


	6. Chapter 6: The Forgotten

**A/N:** Thank you SO MUCH to the following reviewers:

**black-heart-green-eyes - shiroiokami - Jetredgirl - Sarah Rose 29**

**Kaytori - F. E. Lin 78 - xXvioletscriptXx - Lylabeth1 - Anonymous**

I never realized how encouraging reviews could be. The feedback is appreciated. :)

* * *

The sardines were gone far too soon, leaving Jareth to ponder ways to tell the humans that, while it was a fine first course, he was more than ready to start on the second. He decided to wait until they finished their conversation before making his feelings known, though. Not because he was polite, but because he was somewhat interested in what they were talking about.

The kid was picked on and bullied at school. That in and of itself wasn't uncommon or even surprising, but it did seem odd that Sarah didn't know before this morning. Jareth watched in fascination as she got more and more worked up about it, giving him tantalizing flashes of the champion she once was. It was like watching time's work unraveling, thread by thread.

"Failing isn't an option, and I'm not saying that because of your grades. You want to send a message, and I understand that, but I don't think you really want to give your peers the impression that you're easy to manipulate. Living by the mentality of: 'Don't even try to push me, because I'll just jump off the ledge instead.' isn't very empowering." said Sarah to her cup, apparently trying to soften her message by shielding her son from the green eyes that could be so passionate.

Jareth couldn't help but think about the Escher room. On the contrary, jumping could be quite empowering given the right motivations and circumstances. Sarah should remember that, if nothing else. Just how many of their thirteen hours together did she actively remember?

"If I fail, they fail. I would be taking them down with me. It sends the message that if they want to play games with me, they lose." stated Aaron, boring holes into the wall with his stare. They both acted like they had venom in their gaze, and Jareth found it strangely amusing.

"The stakes are much higher for you. You have a future away from this town and these people. I hate to say it, but those boys probably don't. Their family has lived in poverty in Hawford for generations, and no one expects Jason or Chris to do anything different. They attend school because they have to, but they'll drop the moment truancy is no longer an issue. If they leave school with the ability to read, it will be a small miracle. Did you know that their parents can't read?"

"No way! How could they do anything without being able to read?" asked Aaron, looking at his mother in surprise. Neither of them turned to stone when their eyes met. Jareth was disappointed to see the tension clearing the air. Sarah and son were almost as amusing as the goblins were back at home. Almost.

"They find ways to work around it. Their mother makes recipes by memory, and she uses the pictures on labels. You've seen that woman cook! She gets around a kitchen better than I do. And if they have to travel, they'll pay someone like your father to go along to read the signs on the way." Sarah explained.

"Is that why Mrs. Clearie brings her mail over sometimes?" Aaron asked.

Sarah nodded. "Yes. But don't ever say anything to anyone about that. The point is that you are in a completely different boat than the twins are. I would advise against sinking down to their level. School isn't some game for you."

"It's just not fair." muttered Aaron, shoulders slumping in resignation.

"Life's not fair." Sarah admitted. "But you know what? You don't have to work on this project alone. I would be more than happy to help with it, if you want me to."

"You don't have to..."

"But I want to. Plus, what kind of parent doesn't ever help with homework? Indulge me for once, my brilliant boy. It's been ages since I set foot in the library!"

"What about our patient?" asked Aaron, glancing thoughtfully at the owl.

"Hmm. I'll think of something. For now, let's focus on getting ready before your father wakes up."

While Sarah and Aaron got ready, Jareth tested his strength. He hoped to fly away the moment he saw open skies again, and before they could put him somewhere intolerable, like in the chicken pen with that bloodthirsty rooster. His strength had not yet returned sufficiently for flight, much to his disappointment, and one of his wings was still quite damaged. It would take more contact with his repressed powers to mend properly. The once splintered bones had re-knit, but the muscles had yet to be restored.

Sarah shoved Jareth back in the box and carried him out to the chicken pen. Tiny was already eyeing her on the other side of the door, clicking his claws and ruffling up.

"Tiny! Can't you behave for once?" she asked as she moved for the latch. The rooster launched himself at her fingers through the chicken wire, managing to clip her skin. Sarah hissed and drew back, unaware of the royal audience watching her from inside the box she now clutched closer to her chest. She showed Tiny her middle finger and then flounced off, giggling at the irony of flipping the bird at an actual bird.

Sarah made her way to a shed and grabbed a homely woven tote. She gingerly picked Jareth up out of the box and placed him inside. The weave was loose enough that the owl could see through it, and he decided that he liked it, though he could do without the strong herbal smell inside.

Sarah tucked the bag under her arm and walked over to the car where Aaron was waiting and stealing glances at the house.

"Making a house call?" the boy asked when he spotted the bag.

"Not today. Our patient needs some fresh air, so I figured we could bring him with us."

They both climbed in the car and Jareth was surprised that Sarah kept him tucked securely at her side. His powers were accessible even without direct contact now as long as she was close by, so this was good news for his health. With any luck, he would be flying away in no time.

"Won't he get hot in the car?" Aaron asked.

"If he behaves himself when we go to the store, we'll just bring him into the library with us." she replied.

"You cut your finger." Aaron commented.

"I didn't cut it. Tiny bit me! I'm truly considering having a good old fashioned roast chicken for dinner tomorrow. Tomorrow is Sunday, after all." said Sarah with a bright smile.

"Dad would be really angry if anything happened to that bird."

"Your dad thinks having a fighting cock as our rooster is a great idea because he doesn't have to deal with him."

"I think Tiny would be tough and hard to chew."

"Probably."

Jareth felt the car slow and was grateful. His time as an owl hadn't given him the opportunity to grow accustomed to infernal human contraptions such as automobiles. If he was honest with himself, being surrounded by so much metal and synthetic material made him nervous.

He was careful to make no sound at all during their trip though the rundown old store and his behavior was rewarded with Sarah and Aaron buying not only sardines, but also mackerel and herring. At this rate, field mice would be hard to get used to again. Then they drove to the sorriest library Jareth had ever seen and began picking through the meager offerings. Even Haggle had a more extensive collection than this town did.

It was decided that owls should remain the topic of the paper. Aaron's reasoning was that he should learn more about "the patient" anyway, so it was killing two birds with one stone. Sarah had laughed and told her son that it was a poor phrase to use, and Jareth couldn't have agreed more.

They read and read, taking tons of notes and bouncing ideas off of each other like two would-be academics. The library was desolate save for the librarian who kept glaring at the books piled all around Sarah and Aaron. By the time they were finished, two drafts had been written. When they were merged, it would be an exhaustive exploration of all aspects of owls, covering not only anatomy but also the environmental and agricultural impact of said creatures. That analysis belonged to Aaron alone; Sarah had only trawled through the books in search of raw information for her son to glean his conclusions from.

They were so deep in their work that they didn't realize that daylight was ebbing. In a mad rush they hurried back to the car and drove home, hearts racing as if they were fleeing the scene of a crime. And they had every reason to be afraid when they pulled up in the driveway and saw the dark shadow standing in the doorway, waiting for them.

* * *

Song in Title: The Forgotten by Green Day


	7. Chapter 7: Titanium

_Keep your head up, Sarah. You've done nothing wrong._

Jareth couldn't tell if it was her thought or his as Sarah forced herself to calmly face her husband, who was seething with anger. As soon as she stepped from the car, her shoulders squared and her head was held high. Like royalty. _Like me. _Jareth realized. Her presence certainly impacted him in wonderful and glorious ways: healing him, warming him and even comforting him. Did it go both ways? Was he as soothing to her as she was to him? Was he influencing her even now?

"Hello, Daniel." she said in a soft and pleasant voice.

"Where the hell have you been?" he snapped, glaring at Sarah and Aaron each in turn. "What the hell have you been doing?"

"I've been at the library, helping our son with his schoolwork."

"No note. No nothing. I woke up to an empty house. Not a pleasant way to wake up." he said, chuckling without mirth as he ran his fingers through his hair. Aaron had his eyes, Jareth noted. The color of the ocean.

"I can imagine what an unpleasant awakening that must have been." replied Sarah, giving the words 'unpleasant awakening' a meaningful tone. "I didn't plan to be gone so long, otherwise I would have left a note. You know how I get when I'm around books."

"What are we supposed to do for dinner?" he asked, hands on his hips. This was a man who felt entitled to the world revolving around him, Jareth decided. A king within his own tiny kingdom.

"There is a casserole in the freezer. I'll slide it in the oven and make some rolls to go with it. You know, the ones you like." answered Sarah. It was a peace offering of sorts, the invitation to have dinner without fighting, where everyone pretended the night before hadn't happened.

"It's food, so I won't complain." Daniel relented. "But you'd better not take off with the car again without asking. Since it was for the boy, I'll let you off easy this time." Daniel winked at her, and Jareth fought the urge to claw through the bag and gouge the guy's eyes out.

Aaron snuck Jareth back to his room with the promise of returning as soon as dinner was over, and it sounded like the meal went fairly well. Then Aaron was back and running with the owl to the bathroom, locking both doors before anyone could see what he had smuggled inside. The boy looked at Jareth and then looked at the shower stall. It was clearly too narrow for them both to fit.

"I'm first." whispered Aaron, stripping naked and washing with a vengeance. Then he stepped out of the shower, wrapped his arm and wrist with a towel and held it out to Jareth, who didn't move.

_He must be joking._

"If we don't get you cleaned up, you're going to get sick. Your outer feathers look decent, but I know there's a lot of blood lurking under there still. Do you have any idea what rotting blood can do to an animal's skin?" he asked in a whisper, willing to be childish enough to talk to an owl in the privacy of the bathroom.

"Plus, you smell." he added, putting this arm closer to the owl. With an inward sigh, Jareth hopped up on the boy's outstretched arm and tried not to panic when his body was moved under the flowing water. When the initial fright ebbed, Jareth felt silly for not wanting this. It was warm and cleansing, and a million times better than the cold rains he was used to washing in. The owl stretched out his wings and watched in satisfaction as the running water worked its magic, leaving pristine white in its wake. Instinct kicked in and he stretched his wings as wide as possible within the confined space, covering Aaron in a fresh batch of water drops.

Someone tested the knob and then began pounding on the door. "Just a minute!" replied Aaron, unwilling to shut the shower off until the water ran clear from his patient's feathers. The pounding stopped and Aaron breathed a sigh of audible relief. Then the door flew inward, splintering all over the naked boy and the wet bathroom. Jareth hissed and Aaron screamed. The scene couldn't have looked worse. Aaron was stark naked and the room was covered in blood-tinged droplets.

"Want to explain what you're doing in here, boy?" Daniel asked over the sound of the water, flexing his fist and apparently feeling like a real man for kicking the door in on his own son. A vein bulged in his neck and Jareth briefly pondered how he could protect the boy without being able to fly. Aaron was so shocked and embarrassed that he couldn't string two words together.

"Look at all this filthy mess. I outta bust your ass for this." he hissed.

"I was going to clean it up!" Aaron finally managed, hysterical sobs shaking his shoulders. "How could you come in on me like this? I said just a minute!"

"I warned you to never lock the door, and I figured you were up to no good, which you were." he answered, grabbing Jareth from his son in a crushing grip, ignoring Aaron's pleading. "Get some clothes on and get to bed." he ordered, shoving Aaron back into the bathroom with his free arm. The boy slipped on the slick floor and fell.

Jareth fought the man, but he seemed to be immune to pain in this state of mind. The biting and clawing only ceased when he was put down abruptly someplace outside. Before the owl could blink, he was staring up into the barrel of a rifle. Jareth shuddered involuntarily at the thought of how painful this experience would be. He had never been shot point blank before. For all the knew, this might actually kill him.

_What if this is really it? Pity. I had hoped to go differently. Preferably with lots of show. And glitter. Definitely glitter._

The rifle was knocked out of the way in the nick of time, and a second later Jareth found himself staring at Sarah's back as she crouched in front of him.

"What? Are you going to shoot me?" Sarah asked, startling both the owl and the man with her taunting tone. Daniel didn't shoot, but he kept the gun up, trained on where he imagined the owl to be behind his wife's back.

"Move, Sarah." Daniel ordered in a low tone. "Don't be stupid."

Sarah didn't move an inch. "Me? I'm not the one being stupid here. Look at how you've behaved tonight... what you've done in front of Aaron. What you've done to Aaron. How do you think he's feeling right now? You scared him half to death, and why? Because he dared lock the bathroom door for some privacy during his shower? Because he was taking care of an injured animal? It's ridiculous! You're ridiculous."

"Move, bitch!" he growled.

"If you kill this owl, Aaron will never forgive you, and neither will I." replied Sarah simply, turning and picking up the owl in her arms. She stood and turned towards Daniel, shoulders squared and face determined.

"You can't keep that thing safe forever." Daniel said, temper suddenly gone. "I might not be able to kill it, but it's not staying on my property. Not after what it's done!" He showed Sarah his bloody, clawed up hand. She ignored it.

"It's not going anywhere tonight." replied Sarah, green eyes narrowed in a glare that could freeze hell. "I think we've had enough drama for one night."

"My house, my rules." Daniel stated, glaring daggers at Jareth, who happily returned them in equal measure.

"Then we'll go stay the night at the Clearies' house. I'm sure Sally won't mind." said Sarah.

"You wouldn't dare!" her husband hissed.

"You're not giving me a choice. Our son has been traumatized enough and I won't be adding the death of this owl to the experience." she replied.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "You're being melodramatic."

"And you're being silly. It's just an owl!"

Daniel eased his posture and rubbed the back of his neck with his clean hand. "I need a drink. I'm too sober for this shit." he muttered. He stalked back to the house and grabbed his keys, driving off and leaving Sarah to deal with the mess he left behind. Sarah stood out in the yard for a moment, taking deep breaths and trying to figure out what to say to her son, who was surely beside himself inside.

Jareth remained perfectly still in her arms, not wanting to disturb her any more than he already had indirectly. Suddenly the world swayed and Sarah fell to her knees, still clutching him to her. She had the presence of mind to put the bird down before another wave of disorientation hit her. She slumped bonelessly to the side, cheek resting against the dirty ground.

In total panic, the Goblin King tried to make a mental connection with her, to pull her back from whatever had gripped her. There was nothing there to reach for. It was as if he were trying to communicate with a rock. After a few agonizing moments, small drifting thoughts reached his mind like the mixed up chatter of a stroke victim. In desperation he rested his forehead against hers. Finally the unintelligible gibberish morphed into a more sensible chant, repeated over and over.

_Please God, not right now. Please not right now. Please. My son needs me, and the car is gone. I'm all alone, and help is so far away. Please, please, please! Dear God, please!_

Jareth grabbed her consciousness with his own and rode wave after wave of disorientation, nausea and confusion until it faded away, leaving two very tired beings laying in the dirt. Sarah opened her eyes with caution, not quite trusting herself to be well again. She gasped when all she could see were two moon-like golden eyes gazing back at her, so close that her eyelashes brushed against his feathery face.

"Oh, you precious thing!" she murmured. "You never left me, did you? What a sweetie you are."

Tentatively, she sat up and breathed, waiting for her world to turn upside down again. It didn't. With a ragged sigh she stood and scooped up her little friend in her arms, thanking her maker over and over for the reprieve. Jareth didn't share her happiness.

Not right now? Help is so far away?

Something was very wrong with his Sarah. And there wasn't anything he could do about it.

* * *

Song in Title: Titanium by David Guetta featuring Sia

**A/N: **Big thanks to** Lylabeth1**. The shower scene wouldn't have happened without you. Don't worry, something wretched was going to happen to everyone anyway, so that's not your fault!

Also, thank you to **Kaytori! **

Reviews and feedback/suggestions are appreciated!


	8. Chapter 8: Church Bells

When Sarah went back to the house, the bathroom was dry and free of debris. The ruined door still clung to the hinges but would offer privacy no more. A doorless bathroom was in their future, and Sarah really disliked the thought of it.

Her son had heard the car leave and was venturing out from under the covers when she walked into his room. He was profoundly relieved to see both his mother and the patient safe and sound as if nothing had happened. The first words out of his mouth were a stammered apology.

As a parent, what was more important? For so long, Sarah had struggled to create an illusion of safety and normalcy for Aaron, and until this evening, Daniel had played along. Tonight was far from normal, and she had a choice to make.

If she wanted to preserve Aaron's ignorance, she would have to act like Daniel had been within his rights as a father and treat her son as if he had truly done something to warrant that type of punishment. If she did that, this would all blow over eventually, but at what cost? Aaron would blame himself for the situation he found himself in tonight, as well as countless others sure to come. And when he was finally an adult, he would look back on his childhood with a mature set of eyes and see it all for what it really was.

Would he hate her then? Would he blame her then? Was lying to him in order to preserve his childhood worth it?

Telling him the truth would shatter the concept of their little family, because up until that point, Aaron had believed that his father was a good man who let his temper get the best of him sometimes. Sarah stood at a crossroads and she knew it. The next words out of her mouth would irrevocably change their world, and she hated it. But as far as she was concerned, truth was the only option. Daniel had outed himself the moment he touched her son.

"Don't ever apologize for your father's behavior." said Sarah, stepping forward and drawing Aaron into a hug. "He should be apologizing to you, but since he never will, I'll do it for him. I'm so sorry, Aaron. No one should ever be treated the way you were tonight."

When Sarah saw the relief flood Aaron's face, she knew she had made the right choice. The embrace between mother and son would have lasted longer had it not been for the deep sigh of the owl, who was sandwiched between them both. The seriousness of the moment evaporated as Aaron laughed at the expression on the owl's face.

The rest of the evening was quiet but tense. Aaron asked his mother to stay in his room, which she gladly did, but neither could bring themselves to sleep. Instead, they kept up an unspoken vigil over each other and their feathered guest. They kept offering the owl food in order to keep themselves busy, but he didn't seem very hungry. Sarah didn't blame him. Near death experiences were never good for the appetite.

Daniel came back home in the early morning hours and began slamming things around when he saw where Sarah was sleeping and what she was sleeping with. Once he was certain that he had disturbed every living creature into some form of wakefulness, he headed downstairs and flipped on the television set, turning the volume up as loud as it could go. When Sarah smelled coffee, she remembered that today was Sunday. In a few short hours, she would have to share a pew with her husband, try not to fall asleep during the sermon and attempt to make small talk with the other ladies of the congregation. With so little sleep the past two nights, just looking presentable would be difficult, if not downright impossible.

Aaron was finally dozing despite all the noise, but the owl was fully alert at her side. She didn't dare leave the bird, so she tucked him at her side and darted out of the room. She navigated the creaky stairs with practiced ease and slipped past the back of her husband's chair and into the kitchen unnoticed. In the kitchen, the dog raised its head and studied the owl rather than Sarah before settling back down to sleep. With infinite care, Sarah pulled the side door open and stepped out into the crisp early morning air.

Sarah made her way to one of the sheds and gathered up some bottles and jars. She needed both hands free, so she carefully moved the owl to her shoulder. She hadn't expected it to actually work, but the owl seemed to understand the idea of riding around on a human's shoulder very well.

_This owl must belong to someone. _Sarah thought. It should have been a pleasing insight, but she felt a sense of loss instead. She didn't want to keep the bird, did she?

Sarah turned on the outside light to illuminate her personal garden and couldn't help giggling hysterically when she saw her shadow.

_If anyone ever saw me out here like this, I would never live it down!_

As it was, the people of Hawford still viewed Sarah's gift for herbalism as a precursor to witchcraft. It was only her faithful attendance to church that kept both rumors and people at bay. If they saw her plucking herbs in near darkness with what appeared to be a familiar on her shoulder, she would be run out of town on a rail.

Breathing deeply, Sarah pushed such thoughts from her mind and focused solely on the sensations of the garden. Her bare feet were in solid contact with the ground, and she imagined that she could feel the plants growing all around her. Extending her hands over the flowers, leaves and delicate sprigs, she instinctively harvested anything that she thought would make herself feel better. She stuffed her chosen herbs into a jar, and then remembered that one of her regulars would be expecting a fresh batch of tincture when they saw her at church later in the morning. She performed the same motions again, focusing on the unique problems of her customer, Ms. Locklear. She stuffed those herbs in a second jar and carried both into her shed.

Sarah topped off the jars with a mixture of apple wine, rosewater, honey and lemon. The sun was on the rise, so Sarah left her creations on the windowsill of the shed to be warmed by the rays. She then removed the owl from her shoulder and began making her way back towards the house, concealing her amusement when she startled her husband along the way. Daniel had never appreciated Sarah's ability to move soundlessly and had often joked about 'belling the cat' during the early days of their relationship.

"I'm gonna take off." he said once he regained his composure, coffee clearly having taken effect. "The engine's running rough. Anything happen during that little joyride of yours that you forgot to tell me?"

"No." replied Sarah. "The car felt and sounded fine."

"Well, Mac owes me a favor. I'll have him take a look and see what we're dealing with."

"What about church-"

"Have Sally Clearie pick you up. She'll have enough seats since I'm bringing Bob along for the ride, just to keep Mac honest, you know? I love Mac like a brother, but he's a rat. I'll meet you and the boy at church later and we'll make our way home together." Daniel's expression softened as he looked at Sarah. "We've had a rough weekend, but let's just forget about it so we can focus on what really matters."

Daniel didn't wait for Sarah to respond, and she was glad. She didn't have anything to say to that.

Sarah put the owl in Aaron's room and then prepared herself for church, feeling glad to have a temporary break from Daniel's oppressive presence. She showered, and then with great care and patience, she carefully pinned her hair up in a simple upswept style that she hoped made her look well put together. Makeup was briefly considered but then dismissed, since vanity was looked down on by the congregation.

Sarah slipped into her customary Sunday dress and then twirled in front of the mirror to make sure everything was where it should be. When Sarah craned and saw her back, she froze. Three out of five fingertip-shaped bruises were clearly visible on her back. This was a shock, because Daniel was usually more mindful about location. Sarah stripped her usual outfit off and rummaged through her meager wardrobe, finally settling on a bright yellow sundress that hit higher up on her back paired with a black and brown shawl. She would feel like a sunflower, but it was the best she could come up with.

She awakened Aaron reluctantly and made sure he ate and got dressed for the service. Sarah then gathered her herbal concoctions from the shed and brought them back to the house. In the subdued light of the kitchen, the tonics almost appeared to glow. Sarah drank hers down before wrapping up the other. The infusion warmed her and seemed to perk her up a bit.

Sally pulled up just as Aaron finished pulling on his boots.

"Where should we put you-know-what?" Aaron asked in a whisper.

"That's a good question." replied Sarah just as quietly. "I don't feel right about leaving him here."

"Do you think something will happen while we're gone?"

Sarah didn't respond because she had no real answer. All she had was a terrible sense of foreboding. On a whim, she called out to her friend to wait a moment and then went back inside and up to Aaron's room, placing the owl inside her woven tote and bringing him with her.

Sarah then asked Sally if she could store something at her house during the church service, and the woman said she didn't mind stopping back by her house since it was on the way anyway. After they had been on the road for a few minutes, Daniel and Bob zoomed past, with Daniel waving and smiling at Sarah as they went by.

_It's impossible._ she thought to herself. _He's not that crazy._

But what if he was?

Just as they were about to turn into the driveway of the Clearies' house, Daniel's car was behind them, his jovial mood gone. Here wouldn't be any safer than home.

"Never mind, Sally. Apparently this isn't going to work."

Sally was frowning at her husband through the rear view mirror, both clearly wondering what was going on between Sarah and Daniel. "You want to just keep going?"

"I guess so." Sarah replied, sagging back into her seat with a groan.

"What were you going to leave at our house?" asked Chris from the backseat. Aaron was unhappily sandwiched between the twins in the back of the old station wagon, and Sarah imagined that she could feel his gaze on the back of her head as he waited to hear her answer.

"It's an owl." replied Sarah with a sigh, opening the top of her bag so Sally could see. The owl peered up at the woman with all the curiosity of a tabby cat.

"My God, what eyes!" Sally squeaked, nearly driving off the road for looking at it.

"An owl?" echoed Jason in a quiet voice.

"Yes. An owl." repeated Sarah. "The very same owl you entrusted to my son's care."

"Impossible. That wretched thing was dead." said Sally. "It can't be the same one. Right, Aaron?"

"Mom, you knew about it?" asked Chris without thinking.

"Of course I did, you little good-for-nothing." she snapped.

"Why didn't you say nothing?" Jason asked.

"I was waiting for you boys to do something with it so I could punish you properly." Sally replied. "I just knew it was going to be something horrible."

Aaron didn't offer up what he knew, and Sarah followed suit. Instead, she opted to simply tell Mrs. Clearie that her boys saw the owl as a learning opportunity and focused on the remarkable recovery of the creature from death's door. Sally listened in awe and wonder, stealing glances at the tote by her friend's side. If it were anyone but Sarah, she never would have believed it.

Once Sarah started, she couldn't seem to stop. By the time they reached the church, Sally and sons knew about Daniel's obsession with killing the owl, and they had a vague sense of how horrible the past two days had been.

"Aaron, I need you to give this tincture to Ms. Locklear for me." said Sarah, handing the jar back to her son. Walking up to the woman with an owl on her hip didn't seem like the best idea.

"Does she owe anything for it?"

"No, just make sure she gets it." Sarah replied.

"Is she sick?" asked Jason with a hopeful tone to his voice.

"Don't make me backhand you in the church parking lot." warned Sally. "That girl deserves pity and prayer, and that's all you need to know about it."

Sally backed into a spot and everyone filed out of the car. Sarah took a deep breath and prepared for the weirdest church service of her life.

* * *

Song in Title: Church Bells by Gungor


	9. Chapter 9: Stars Fall Down

**A/N: **Thank you, dear reviewers and readers! The chapters now have names (based on songs), and a 'playlist' of sorts will be posted in the future. Probably in the epilogue.

* * *

Jareth hadn't expected Sarah to go to such lengths to protect him. As she worked to muster up the courage to face the majority of her community while carrying an owl in a bag, he pitied her. The herbal concoction she had prepared earlier seemed to be sustaining her admirably, so that was something to be grateful for. The last thing he had ever expected to see was Sarah making potions, but there was no denying it. Potions were a tricky, temperamental magic that required a patience that the Goblin King didn't possess, but Sarah was a natural, going by instinct alone.

_What a Queen she would have made!_

Through the din of human voices, Jareth heard Sally reciting Sarah's story to someone in the building. The woman struck him as skittish but earnest, and he sincerely hoped she had Sarah's best interest at heart. He genuinely regretted the fact that Sarah had had to suffer the potential embarrassment of getting caught smuggling an owl in her bag, but he couldn't deny that it was good news for his wounds. By the time they went back to the house, Jareth suspected that he would be able to fly around normally. His first line of business would be dropping something heavy on Daniel's car. And if he was honest with himself, there was no way that he was leaving Sarah until the curse was broken. Because he loved her, even if she didn't feel the same.

The congregation took their pews and the worship service began. Daniel, Sarah and Aaron all stood in a row, and Daniel's angry vibe could be cut with a knife. Sarah was too busy singing the hymns to notice. Her voice shook with genuine emotion, and her tone was clean and pure.

The projector displayed a crooked sheet of lyrics on the back wall, and Jareth studied it from his hiding place in the tote as she sang:

_You make everything glorious,_  
_You make everything glorious,_  
_You make everything glorious,_  
_And I am Yours._  
_What does that make me?_

Sarah sang the words, but try as he might, he couldn't read them. Hymn after hymn yielded the same results, and a sinking sense of despair filled him. Words were power, and he had accidentally cast a fetter over his. He lost the spoken word, and it would only make sense if he lost the written word too. Recovering his power would be nearly impossible in this state.

During the last hymn, Jareth focused on the writing on the wall with all his might, managing to make out the last two lines.

Deliver me,  
Oh, deliver me!

It felt strangely appropriate.

When the praise and worship service was over, the pastor stood before the congregation and gave a sermon about the vastness of God's love and power.

"If a single sparrow falls, God sees it. He sees it and cares." Pastor Johnson said. "And if that's the case, how much more so does our Heavenly Father care for us? Sometimes, the compassion and healing power of God is made manifest in a way that we can see it, so our faith may be strengthened by it. The family of Daniel Hawford has seen one such miracle this weekend. Come on up here and tell us your story."

Daniel was too dumbstruck at being called upon to even make his limbs obey, so Sarah and Aaron had to clamor past him to make their way up to the pulpit. The pastor asked Sarah to share her testimony and she did, chronicling the owl's recovery from practically dead to nearly good as new.

"I understand that you brought the owl for us today. Care to show our brothers and sisters what you've been talking about?"

Sarah opened the bag and Jareth tried to give her a look that conveyed just how well he was going to behave. He couldn't be sure of her interpretation, because she was already busy mentally chanting:_ Please, be good! Please, be good! For Heaven's sake, be good!_

Sarah held him up and the members of the congregation gasped.

"We have six witnesses who all saw the same thing: This creature was mortally injured, yet here it lives. Give the Lord a mighty hand of praise!"

When the applause died down, a man stood and spoke. "You can make it seven, Pastor. On Thursday night, I found my hounds playing with a barn owl. Nearly tore the thing apart. The left wing was only hanging on by the skin, just like they said, and it was cold. This is a miracle, if I ever saw one."

Jareth would have eventually recovered, but it would have taken months of agony to do so. Getting picked up by the Clearie twins, then rescued by Aaron and eventually making it to Sarah was a small kind of miracle in its own way. And wasn't that what these tired, run-down people needed? Jareth had expected more of them to be like Daniel, but so far, he saw kind and weary faces that could use a little hope. He did possess a certain affinity for humans, so perhaps that was why he saw them in such a light.

Jareth always had a flair for drama, so to him there was no better moment to try flying again. Taking a leap of faith, he leaped from Sarah's hand and circled the small church house, wobbly at first but strong at the end of his flight. The congregation cheered, and the look on Aaron's face was priceless. Even Daniel clapped, if only to keep from drawing attention to himself.

When Jareth ended his show and landed gently on Sarah's hand, her smile was brilliant but her thoughts were sad.

_You'll be gone in no time._

_Not likely. _Jareth thought in response.

When the church service was over, the people mingled for a while before heading home. Now that Jareth was a symbol of divine love and providence, he felt free to perch on Sarah's shoulder openly. A few people stared, but no one said anything about it. They did comment on how different the morning's service had been, and most said they found it refreshing. Sundays typically belonged to the stodgy and traditional Peter Johnson Sr., but this morning was Peter Johnson Jr's, thanks to a bout of viral pneumonia that left his father bound by doctor's orders to remain in bed, even on a Sunday morning.

An older man who looked a lot like Daniel came up and patted Sarah on her free shoulder, telling her in a whisper that she'd catch a chill if she didn't mind her shawl. Sarah got the message and pulled the fabric higher, hiding her bruises more effectively. The man then clapped Daniel on the shoulder roughly and told him that he was a rotten son for neglecting his old man. Daniel shuffled his feet and mumbled something about being busy, clearly not enjoying the attention.

"Sarah, would you mind sharing your table with me tonight? I'll bring the food, and you and your family can provide the company." Daniel's father asked.

"You are always welcome, Henry." she replied.

"Wonderful. I'll meet you two lovebirds at home. I was thinking of bringing Aaron with me while I picked up dinner." said Henry.

Sarah nodded and smiled. "I'm sure he would like that. He's over there, talking to the Clearie boys."

"Ah, no good can come of that!" the old man joked. "See you at the house."

Only the sound of the engine broke the oppressive silence as the odd trio drove home. The owl was out of sight in the tote once more, and Sarah plucked out her hairpins as soon as the wheels hit the main road.

"Headache?" Daniel asked.

"No, not yet. I think I put my hair down just in time." Sarah replied.

A collection of images flooded Jareth's mind, supplied by Sarah's subconscious. A headache for her meant searing, blinding pain that left her in a senseless heap wherever it hit her. As far as he knew, this was a new thing. In all his time watching her during her youth, he had never seen her suffer a headache at all.

In Sarah's memories, Daniel was neither supportive nor kind, so he probably wasn't asking out of concern.

"I have a couple of doses of painkiller left." Sarah offered.

"I needed something for the pain today. God didn't miraculously heal my wounds overnight." Daniel corrected.

"You took the Percocet?"

"Yeah. There's a bunch of those other pills left. Aren't they good enough for you? They were expensive enough."

"I'm not supposed to take those if I can help it! They're bad for my heart."

"You're just gonna have to make due until after payday. I'm almost out of smokes."

Sarah didn't say anything more about it, and blamed herself for not having hidden the prescription somewhere.

"So, how was the weather up in my Dad's ass?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I get being civil, 'cuz it's church and all, but agreeing to some unplanned family dinner without checking with me first? I don't appreciate being usurped like that."

"What else was I supposed to say? I like your father, but I had no real choice in the matter. The entire congregation was listening for his answer."

"Yeah, thanks to your little show. You're one sneaky bitch, you know that? Pretty sweet set-up. Now I can't lay a hand on the bird, because I would be destroying the good work of God Almighty." Daniel gripped the steering wheel in a death grip, then hissed and released his hold. He glared at his injured hand and then at Sarah.

"I can't touch the bird, but you're a different story. As soon as the old man leaves, we're having a heart-to-heart talk, just you and me. So enjoy the meal, and maybe think of cooking up something for dessert. Anything to make him stick around longer, right?"

Sarah didn't acknowledge her husband's words, but her hand slipped into the tote and she began stroking the owl's feathers with trembling fingers.

"Sign from God or not, if you don't quit fondling that owl I'll throw it out the window, bag and all."

Sarah's hand immediately moved to her lap.

As soon as the car was in park, Sarah launched herself from the vehicle and ran inside the house. Now loosed from his woven prison, Jareth watched in fascination as Sarah dusted, swept and organized what appeared to him to be a perfectly orderly home.

"Jesus, Sarah. He's not a friggin' king!" snapped Daniel.

"No, but he's gonna eat like one tonight!" Henry called from the kitchen. Daniel's face turned purple.

Henry's face popped out from the kitchen. "Aaron suggested using the side door so we could put the food directly in the kitchen. I hope you don't mind, Sarah."

"Of course not. Need any help unloading?"

"Yes. Daniel, why don't you make yourself useful and unload the car?"

Daniel shot Sarah a mean look when his father wasn't looking and then stalked outside.

Aaron was buzzing with excitement. "Mom! We got pizza, fried chicken and Chinese food! I'm going to build the most awesome pizza ever!"

"That sounds wonderful, sweetie. Why don't you run upstairs and get dressed into something more comfortable than your Sunday best?" suggested Sarah.

Aaron nodded and ran up the stairs, taking two at a time.

"And wash up while you're at it!" Sarah yelled.

"I will!"

It had taken Daniel two trips to bring in all the food, and their table was piled higher than Thanksgiving.

"Pizza, fried chicken and Chinese?" asked Sarah, looking at Henry.

"Aaron said those three sounded good." Henry replied with a shrug.

"You really shouldn't have, Henry." Sarah said.

"Now, now. You don't get to say such things. You, Aaron and Daniel are the only family I've got, and I can do things for you if I feel like it." replied Henry. "I've got to admit, I'm still holding out hope that one day, you'll start calling me 'Dad.'"

Sarah smiled sadly but didn't reply.

"Too soon? I understand, honey. You never get over losing a loved one."

Aaron lumbered into the dining room then, diffusing the tension with his enthusiasm for dinner. Together, Aaron and his grandfather made a piece of sweet and sour chicken pizza, fried chicken pizza and chow mein pizza. Sarah tried all three to be polite and actually found the sweet and sour one to her liking. Aaron was thrilled.

"I've got to be honest, guys. This should be revolting." admitted Sarah before putting another forkful in her mouth.

"But it's not!" exclaimed Aaron. "We could make a million with this recipe, couldn't we, Grandpa?"

"I like your thinking, kiddo. But we would have to pry the sweet and sour recipe from Ellie's cold, dead fingers first."

"I would offer her a cut of the money instead." replied Aaron in a sensible tone. Both Henry and Sarah laughed.

Daniel went in and turned on the TV in the living room, only popping back into the kitchen to get more food. Every chance he got, he shot Sarah meaningful glances, clearly counting down the minutes until his dad left.

Jareth was perched on top of the cabinets in the kitchen during the meal, watching the comings and goings below. He was beyond surprised when the old man offered him a plate of chow mein noodles. He decided to humor him and eat a few, but a few turned into a lot when he discovered just how good they were. Three plates later, Jareth was almost afraid to try flying. He might be too heavy.

"I've probably given your owl the craps. Might be a good idea to show him how to use the dog door." said Henry, getting up and swinging the flap open and shut for the owl to see.

"But won't he be able to get away if we let him outside?" asked Aaron quickly, getting up and standing between the door and Jareth.

"How does that saying go?_ 'If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it was meant to be?'_ If he wants to come back, he will. And if he doesn't, then our time with him is over." replied Sarah.

"It'll come back, if only for the food." said Henry.

Jareth felt offended by most of the exchange, though intrigued by what Sarah had to say. The idea of coming and going as he pleased was refreshing, so he dive-bombed out the dog door and flew a few laps around the yard. Then he flew back inside and went back to his perch at the top of the cabinets, thoroughly enjoying Daniel's disappointment at his return.

"There are laws against this sort of thing. You need permits to keep wild animals." Daniel stated without looking away from the TV set.

"Who's going to tell? Besides, a few people owe me favors. I guess I could make it all legal." replied Henry. "The easiest way would be to make this piece of land a preserve of some kind, but our ancestors would roll in their graves. Strong and mighty hunters, all."

"Are you saying that we could keep the owl indefinitely?" asked Sarah, looking more like a fifteen year old in that moment than a grown woman.

"I'm saying you should pick out names and consider building an owl house." replied Henry. "The community loves the idea of a blessed owl, and you guys clearly enjoy it. Anything for my family or my community."

"I don't know what to say." said Sarah.

"It's nothing, Sarah. Now Aaron, I would like to talk to your mother alone for a minute. Could you give us a second?" Henry asked.

"Sure thing, Grandpa!

Henry smiled at the boy. "Bring us your report when we're done, okay?"

Aaron nodded and ran upstairs. Jareth was almost tempted to follow the boy, but he was more curious about the conversation between the adults in the room.

"It's been too long since I've really spent time with Aaron." Henry stated. "He's smart. That's all I can say. And I don't want to see a bright young mind like that go to waste."

"He's a brilliant boy, that's for sure." Sarah agreed.

"He told me that he wants to be a doctor. He's not that interested in the family business, though I'm sure he would take an interest if I pushed him in that direction." said Henry. "I want to see him succeed, and I like the idea of having a doctor in the family. Daniel refuses my help at every turn, but as Aaron's mother, would you object to me putting him through college?"

Sarah sat there, stunned. Then she began to cry, and Henry politely looked at the vase on the table. Daniel suddenly loomed over the kitchen table, glaring at Sarah and his father each in turn. Jareth briefly considered dropping the tea kettle on Daniel's head, but then dismissed the idea. He didn't want his open invitation revoked for bad behavior.

_But would anyone even consider that bad behavior?_

"College? You can't be serious! I never went to college, and you didn't either. What makes him special? Why should he be treated any different than the rest of us?" shouted Daniel, purple faced and shaking.

"I've had about enough of your rebelliousness, Daniel. And we're talking about Aaron, not you." Henry answered, voice steady and calm.

"But you would be putting him through college with _my_ inheritance!" Daniel yelled, slamming his fists against the table. Sarah flinched and shrank back a few inches.

"Sarah, would you mind going up and telling Aaron the good news? And tell him I'd love to read his report later too. Apparently now isn't the right time."

Sarah nodded and headed up the stairs, leaving father and son alone in the kitchen. When Henry spoke, it was in a low, harsh tone that was far from the warm, paternal image he put off for Aaron and Sarah. "In all the years I was married to your mother, she never disobeyed me. Not ever. If I snapped my fingers once, she brought me a beer. Twice, and she poured me a whisky. And I never laid a finger on her."

"You don't know what Sarah's like-"

"I told you not to bring home a princess, but you did one better. You brought home a shotgun bride. No matter what her disposition, I had to give my blessing to the union. In a sense, the wife is like the child you choose. If she obeys, everything else will follow. But Sarah's a free spirit, and you're not worth following. You're one step away from a divorce here, Daniel. I can see it. In this community, there is nothing worse than divorce. They'd forgive a band of murderers quicker than they'd forgive our family for something like that. It's unthinkable!" Henry hissed, glaring up at Daniel with venom in his gaze. The younger man flinched back. "I've put up with your laziness and your rebellion. I've put up with you keeping me away from my grandson, but no more. You will straighten up your act, you will repair things with Sarah, and you will find a way to keep a hold on her, or so help me, you won't inherit a dime!"

"What? You can't-"

"I can. Tomorrow, I am drawing up an amended will naming Aaron Hawford as the heir to everything. If I die before you get back in my good graces, you won't get a thing. No land, no business, no nothing."

"Sarah's impossible! How am I supposed to fix things with her? She hates me." Daniel whispered.

"What has kept her with you this long?" Henry asked.

"Aaron, I guess."

"And now that he's nearly old enough to have a say in where he'll end up should you two part ways, he's not enough to keep her with you. Get her pregnant, and get your act together." ordered Henry. "If you're man enough, that is. And if you lay a finger on her or the boy again, so help me-"

The shrill ringing of the telephone interrupted the heated discussion. Daniel reached over and picked up the receiver, muttering a terse hello. His brow furrowed as he listened to the caller on the other end of the line.

"Sarah! Phone's for you. Sounds bad." Daniel hollered up the stairs.

Sarah and son both rushed downstairs in response. With shaky hands, she took the phone from her husband. "Hello?"

Sarah turned a pale shade of gray when she recognized the voice on the line.

"Karen, what's wrong? You need to speak slower." Sarah listened for a few moments before leaning heavily against the counter. "I haven't talked to him since Christmas. Are you sure? Maybe he went somewhere for the weekend."

The call ended with Sarah begging for news whenever her stepmother received it. As soon as she hung up, she covered her eyes and sobbed.

"Damn it, Sarah. What the hell is wrong with you?" asked Daniel.

"It's Toby. He's gone." she replied.

* * *

Song in Title: Stars Fall Down by The Parlotones


	10. Chapter 10: Own Little World

In the surreal space between waking and sleeping, Sarah wondered if everything with her brother had been some sort of dreadful dream. Then she rolled over and felt wakefulness wash over her, bringing with it a sickening sense of dread in the pit of her stomach. For a few blissful moments, she had forgotten. Sarah wished she could go back to that place where she didn't know, if only for a moment, but then felt guilty for wishing such a thing.

A week and a half had passed with no leads whatsoever. The police were finally calling it a missing persons case, and the circumstances of Toby's disappearance were eerily similar to another missing persons case that remained unsolved. Sarah had initially held out hope that Toby was simply acting out some teenage rebellion by running off somewhere, but her hopes were dashed when she got the news that a bag of coins had been found under her brother's bed. It was the worst possible news she could have received, save the news that they had found him dead.

Over a decade ago, Sarah's mother Linda Williams had also vanished without a trace, despite the fact that the actress had been surrounded by the cast and crew on set. Only a bag of odd coins showed that anyone had entered her trailer. Whoever had left the valuables made no attempt at wiping off the prints, almost as if to taunt whoever found them. The fingerprints from both incidents matched each other, but the police had no match in the system. Whoever had taken them was unknown.

Stress didn't agree with Sarah, but she had managed her emotions pretty well during the days following her little brother's disappearance. Daniel had been behaving himself for once, which certainly made things easier. He was almost too involved, and Sarah couldn't help but wish that he'd just leave her alone for a while. Especially when he kept trying to comfort her in ways she didn't want to be comforted...

And that was why Sarah had been sleeping on the couch for the past three nights. Her back and neck complained more fiercely each time, but it was worth it to rest in quiet without worrying about unwanted advances. Daniel wasn't perfect, but even he wouldn't try to pull anything while they were both out in the open. At least, not with Aaron in the house.

Pulling in a deep breath, she nuzzled her pillow and tried to collect her thoughts, if only for Aaron's sake. But alarm bells were ringing in her head. Her pillow felt too soft, and the room smelled far too good. Tentatively, Sarah stretched out her legs, eyes still closed, face still buried in her pillow. Gone was the uncomfortably short couch. Her legs unfolded freely and her skin glided against the soft satin sheets. With a gasp, Sarah rolled over and sprang up from the bed as if it were burning. Her feet hit the cold stone floor and she drew in a shuddering breath.

She was Underground. Again.

_Oh no! How could I? What about Aaron?_

Sarah raked her fingers through her hair and tried to swallow around the knot of guilt that was forming in her throat. How could she just check out at a time like this? Aaron was already frightened enough as it was by Toby's disappearance. His mother wimping out and turning into a vegetable was just about the last thing he needed right now.

_Yup. You're gonna win an award for Mother of the Year, Sarah._

Whenever life got bad, Sarah retreated into dreams. During her youth, her escapism had taken the form of beautiful daydreams that filled every spare moment she had. They were all consuming by choice, and she exercised perfect control over her own imaginings. Then something had shifted, and they weren't just daydreams anymore.

If she were here in this world of her own creation, it meant that her body was in the real world somewhere, comatose. Was she still laying on the couch, or was she in the care facility? Was Aaron twelve, or had years and years passed? Time always flowed strangely when she was having one of her episodes, and the last thing Sarah wanted was to waste any of Aaron's fleeting childhood by spending it in a dream.

A goblin maid stepped into the room and jumped when she saw Sarah standing in the middle of the chamber. "Lady is awake! Lady is up! Bubble is so glad! So glad to see The Lady." stuttered the maid, bowing deeply.

"Bubble? Is it really you?" asked Sarah. The weakness of her own voice surprised her. It felt like her voicebox was rough with disuse. The longer she immersed herself in this fantasy, the more details of her ongoing delusion came back to her, and in her memory, Bubble was a goblin baby no bigger than two potatoes laid one on top of the other.

"Tis, milady. Tis! You sleep long time. Long, long time! I must tell Master Hoggle. Must!" Bubble ran away before Sarah could stop her. She looked down at herself and decided that putting on the Underground's equivalent of a bathrobe would be prudent since she was only wearing a flimsy shift. She stalked over to the massive wardrobe in the corner of the room and threw the doors open, irritated at this world and everything in it. Her day got even worse when she investigated the items in the wardrobe.

_What the hell is this stuff? If I'm going to conjure up a dream world, can't I think up some decent things to wear?_

Glitter, satin, silk and feathers. Not exactly her taste, though the fluffy white cloak looked almost tempting. Almost. With a huff, Sarah settled for wrapping herself up in a quilt from the bed. Even the quilt was ostentatious, but at least it didn't sparkle.

Sarah braced herself when she heard the clamor in the hall.

"Milady, thou hast awakened!" cried Sir Didymus, riding in on Ambrosius. Even the sheepdog seemed overjoyed to see her, and Sarah couldn't help giving them a small smile.

"Sir Didymus! Ambrosius! It's lovely to see you two again." she murmured.

"We are most pleased to see you up and about, Your Ladyship." replied the fox, dismounting the canine and kneeling before Sarah. Sarah shifted uneasily and urged him to get up.

"You are the most humble monarch in all the Seven Kingdoms. Isn't she, Friend Hoggle?" asked Sir Didymus, glancing at the doorway. Hoggle was standing behind the half closed door, clearly thinking he was hidden from view, though his nose was a dead giveaway.

"Hoggle? Are you there?" asked Sarah, pretending not to see him eavesdropping in order to be polite. Her childhood friend came into the room then, grumbling under his breath at being found out. "Hey there, Yer Ladyship. Good to see yer awake." he said, not looking Sarah in the eye.

"Why Hoggle! Don't you like me anymore?" Sarah exclaimed, momentarily forgetting the fact that this was only a delusion.

"What? Of course I like you just fine." replied Hoggle, eyes wide. "I'm always happy to see you. It's the not seeing you that's gettin' to me. But don't mind me."

"You miss me while I'm gone." stated Sarah. There was no question in her voice.

Hoggle didn't respond. Valiantly, the fox knight did. "We all miss you when you're gone, Milady."

Cries echoed from the courtyard as startled goblins rushed to get out of the way of the oncoming rock monster. "Sawah! Sawah fwiend!" Ludo roared with a wave.

"Hello, Ludo!" Sarah called from the window, unable to stop the thrill of excitement at seeing her childhood band of heroes reassembling before her eyes.

"So much for keeping things quiet, Hoggle!" hissed a sharp voice at her elbow. Sarah turned and found herself staring into a mirror image of herself.

_Do I really scowl like that? What a deeply furrowed brow._

Absently, Sarah reached up and felt the skin between her own eyebrows, oblivious to the other woman watching her. Her mirror image's frown softened and a laugh escaped her lips. Then her face warped and shifted, changing back to whatever normal was for her. As soon as Sarah looked into her shifted eyes, her mind instantly recalled her name.

_Rhiannon._

Rhiannon breathed a sigh of relief and arched her back as if trying to work out a kink. "You've been asleep way too long." she stated flatly. "The guise was wearing thin. Even the goblins were whispering, and you know how thick they are."

"That's right!" Sarah exclaimed. "I'm the Goblin Queen, aren't I?"

"You always act so surprised, Your Highness." yawned Rhiannon, clearly tired. "These sleeps really take away your snap."

"It _is_ surprising. That's why I'm surprised." replied Sarah. It was really, _really_ weird, actually. She thought back to her initial memories, trying to grasp at whatever it was that was bothering her. There was something amiss about this whole scenario, but what?

"Are you guys sure I'm the Goblin Queen?" Sarah asked.

"Dearest Lady," Sir Didymus bowed dramatically. "I shall begin the debriefing ritual as soon as you are ready."

"Debriefing ritual? That sounds promising." muttered Sarah.

"You called it that, Sarah. I called it 'remind-Sarah-of-all-the-important-stuff-she-shouldn't-have-forgotten-in-the-first-place.'" grumbled Hoggle, studying his shoe.

"Queen Sawah!" shouted Ludo from the doorway. He had finally made his way to the Royal Chambers and was little worse for wear, despite the long climb. The same couldn't be said for the goblin that got stuck between the giant rock monster's toes along the way. It locked eyes with Sarah and his name instantly popped into her mind.

_Sludge. Poor, poor Sludge._

The mushy goblin dragged itself away with as much dignity as it could muster, and Sarah instinctively knew to look the other way, as a good Goblin Queen should. Once he was gone and out of earshot, Sarah walked over and gave her massive friend a hug. "Are you sure about that? I don't feel like a queen."

Ludo shook his head. "Ludo sure. Sawah: Queen Fwiend!"

"Alright. If you say so." said Sarah, not feeling very convinced.

"My Queen, please get dressed and then meet me in the courtyard. The kingdom needs the attention of its monarch." ordered Rhiannon in a clipped tone. Sarah's limited memories of her adventures in the Underground told her that Rhiannon didn't have the authority to talk to her like that, but she didn't say anything. "What exactly am I supposed to wear?" she asked, pulling open the wardrobe for all to see.

"This bedroom is a spare. I have no idea where all these clothes came from, but they're certainly not yours." said Rhiannon. "When you're awake, you stay in the adjacent Queen's Quarters. Follow me. Only her! You boys stay right here. We'll be back."

Rhiannon walked to the side of the room and faced the blank wall. Then she stepped right through and disappeared. Sarah followed, trying to restrain the urge to put her arms forward to protect herself from the oncoming stone. Her hands met with nothing, and she found herself standing in a room that looked very different from the last one. Everything in this space was simple, soft and slightly drab. It reminded Sarah of the real world, and somehow, this didn't please her. It was like a space out of an Ikea catalog, and it clashed with the idea of a grand castle.

"Who stays in here while I'm asleep in the other room?" asked Sarah, looking at the unmade bed.

"I do, when I'm posing as the Queen." replied Rhiannon. "Wouldn't it look funny for the Queen to suddenly have a desire to sleep in her second-in-command's quarters?"

Rhiannon pulled open a Scandinavian looking wardrobe and Sarah gaped at all the clothing inside. Rhiannon laughed. "This whole bit about forgetting everything is almost worth it when you react to things. You find wonder in everything."

Sarah grabbed a pale blue dress and began to change. As soon as the quilt left her shoulders, she felt a small loss. It was so warm, and it smelled so good. In compensation, she laid it over her bed. That seemed to give the generic space some character, even if it clashed.

"Now that we're alone, I may ask. How much do you remember so far?" asked Rhiannon.

"I remember bits and pieces."

"Give me a summary of what you know. Leave nothing out. You remember that you trust me, I hope?"

"Have I ever forgotten?" asked Sarah, offended.

"Not thus far."

"I know this place is a fantasy that I escape into whenever life is just too much for me to take. The delusions started when I was 15, but they didn't really become an issue until I was older. When I awaken here, I am sleeping there."

"Go on."

"In this dream, you cover for me and pretend to be me while I'm sleeping. Only Hoggle, Sir Didymus, Ambrosius and Ludo know about you. My memory comes back in bits and pieces the longer I'm here."

"And?"

Sarah felt irritation prickle at her spine. "Why don't you just tell me what I forgot?"

Rhiannon smiled at her ire. "The merry band of idiots in the other room are oblivious to the 'real world,' as you call it. They don't know about your son, and they certainly have no idea that you can't wait to go home. We've kept them in the dark about that part, and for good reason, I think. Better for them to simply think you're under a memory stealing enchantment that knocks you out at random intervals."

"I'm not from the Underground. Why should I have to hide the fact that I want to go home?"

"To them, you're fey. And as far as they are concerned, you have always been the Queen."

Sarah looked around at the room and snorted. "How do we explain this room then?"

"Some fey find humans... intriguing. It's not out of the question that an eccentric queen would collect some human furnishings."

"Why does this room even exist? I don't like it at all." Sarah admitted.

"You decorated it in this manner to remind you about home. You sometimes forget about the Above when you've been here too long."

Horror hit Sarah in a wave and she felt cold all over.

_Forget about my real life? Forget Aaron? Oh no..._

"If you forget, I will remind you. I swear it. This room is unnecessary." stated Rhiannon flatly. "You're just stubborn, and you like to do things for yourself."

"I think you would like me to forget my life Above and stay here forever." whispered Sarah. She was on her third attempt to lace up the back of her dress. Rhiannon stood and handled the laces with deft fingers.

"What I like matters little, Milady. I act according to your interests, no matter how I feel about them."

As Sarah turned and faced her subject, the inexplicable truth of the woman's words hit her. It was more than just a feeling or a sentiment. Whoever or whatever this Rhiannon was, Sarah had complete power over her. It was an odd feeling.

_Is this what it's like to be Queen?_

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Song in Title: Own Little World by Celldweller


	11. Chapter 11: Here With Me

**A/N:** Many thanks to all who read and review. :) You are deeply appreciated. Reviews keep me going!

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Once Sarah was dressed in a proper outfit, she and Rhiannon set off on a walk through the castle grounds alone, much to the displeasure of her friends. Rhiannon said the patrol couldn't wait a moment longer, but promised to bring Sarah back as soon as possible. Sarah added that she really felt the need for fresh air after being inside for so long, and this made her friends feel slightly better about it.

Once outside, Sarah understood the urgency. The entire castle looked haggard and worn, as if it were a set of ruins that people were crazy enough to still live in. The ground looked bleak and lifeless, like an endless sepia sea, and the few things that dared grow up out of the soil were sickly and old. Sarah didn't remember the place looking so awful, and she said so.

"Close your eyes and envision things as they should be." ordered Rhiannon.

"Why?"

"Just humor me."

Sarah did as the other woman asked. She saw the castle towering strong and tall, the trees standing green and lush, and the land looking fertile and inviting. When she opened her eyes, she frowned and blinked. She was seeing her vision, even with her eyes open.

_I wonder what happens to someone if they suffer a delusion within a delusion._

She rubbed her eyes. The image didn't fade.

_On second thought, I really don't want to find out._

"Do you see what I see?" Sarah asked in a small voice.

"Yes, I see it. You fixed things. This is why you must 'visit' us more often, because I lack your creative power. I rule the lands if you wish it, but in name and title alone." Rhiannon whispered.

"So, now that everything has been repaired, I can return home where I belong." Sarah stated firmly.

"Where you belong is a matter of opinion. This realm withers and rends because of your absence, which says to me that your place is here." replied Rhiannon, palpable chill in her voice.

"My place is with my son."

"And a charming fellow he must be. Why don't you try bringing him here one of these days? That would simplify matters significantly."

The idea of pulling Aaron into a psycho dream world gave Sarah the creeps. "He belongs in the real world."

"Another relative term. But anyway, your work isn't done yet, Your Worship. The Labyrinth needs your attention. Despite my best efforts, it too is falling into disrepair."

Rhiannon conjured them to the top of a knoll so Sarah could see the entire Labyrinth at once. It looked dreadful with collapsing walls, crumbling floors and passages paved with debris.

"That's not how it should be at all! Why'd you let the place go to pot?"

"I did everything I could, but I'm not you, Sarah. I'm not the Queen. I have made sure that travelers and runners get through safely. You should be more grateful... I practically deserve a medal or something. It's an exhausting chore."

Sarah looked at the tired creature beside her and remembered her fully for the first time since awakening. Rhiannon had showed up in this strange place when Sarah needed help the most, guarding and managing the Goblin Kingdom and Labyrinth in her absence without asking for anything in return. These days, Sarah was only required to take care of the things that Rhiannon couldn't handle, and those situations were getting few and far between.

"I am so sorry, Rhiannon." murmured Sarah. "I forget that all this isn't your problem. It's mine."

"I live to serve, Your Ladyship. Help me help you, and I won't complain. Out loud, that is."

Sarah stepped through the massive door and entered the Labyrinth, ignoring the fact that it was falling to pieces all around her. Somehow, she knew it wouldn't hurt her. She reached out and placed a steady hand on the wall, feeling the cracks and inconsistencies in the stone. Sarah then willed the Labyrinth to heal itself, and she felt a sudden draw on something in the pit of her stomach. In one moment, she and Labyrinth were one, and she felt its sorrow, shame and despair at its sorry condition. In the next, she was on her hands and knees, exhausted to the point of vomiting, but too weak even for that.

Someone called her name. When Sarah regained her bearings, she realized it was Rhiannon.

"Well done, Sleeping Beauty. I dare say the place looks even better than before."

The dilapidation and decay were gone, and the whole place glowed softly with a warming light. The Labyrinth's walls were bright and brilliant red, like the finest cinnabar. The sweet fragrance of blooming trees drifted through the passages of the massive maze, and a swarm of tiny pixies were already gathering in response. Birdsong chased away the eerie stillness that had clung to the space before, and more than anything, the Labyrinth felt like the safest place in the world.

"Are you sure I made it better, Rhiannon? I can't help but think it needs to be more... foreboding."

"It is foreboding, but only to those who oppose us. To friendlies, it's... well, friendly."

That made sense to Sarah. Somewhere deep in her memory, she felt sure that she had been on poor terms with this land and kingdom herself, though that made little sense. Why would a Queen be on bad terms with her own kingdom?

"I wasn't always Queen, was I?" asked Sarah.

Rhiannon frowned. "You've been the Queen for as long as anyone here can remember."

The rest of the day went smoothly. Rhiannon released Sarah to the care of her friends for the "debriefing" and grand tour of the kingdom once the needs of the land were met. Sir Didymus led the motley crew with an exuberant attitude, but Hoggle wouldn't make eye contact with her at all. When Sarah asked if he wanted to go home, he denied it. It was weird. She knew he had been her friend at one point, so what changed things?

The Goblin Kingdom was now vast and sprawling, straining against its borders. The humble little goblin hovels were well maintained, which was a surprise, and larger buildings now stood amongst the tiny ones.

"Who lives in the big houses, Sir Didymus?"

He eyed her before answering. "Do you remember wanting the Labyrinth and this kingdom to be a haven for the unwanted?"

No, she didn't really remember. But, she could see herself feeling that way, so she nodded.

"Well, my most honorable ruler, those are the ones who occupy the larger houses. They are displaced fey who are amenable to living in close quarters with goblins. All swear their undying loyalty to you, O Queen."

Fey and goblin alike bowed deeply as she passed, and it took a lot of restraint for Sarah to hold back a grimace.

Sir Didymus must have noted her discomfort. "It is good of you to put up with their attention. It makes them feel safe and secure in the knowledge that they have a ruler worth following. Your memory may be failing you, but to them, you are their champion." he said in a low whisper.

Sarah smiled and nodded in what she hoped was a regal manner, and Sir Didymus nodded approvingly.

The entire region was now perfect in Sarah's eyes. She loved the land, she loved the people, and most of all, she loved the Labyrinth. Even when they made their way back to the castle, Sarah felt connected to that place. It called to her, welcomed her and wanted her. It was all she could do to resist running back out to it while sharing a meal with her friends. But Hoggle was finally talking to her openly again, and Sarah was glad the freeze was over. Now everything was absolutely perfect...

_Except Aaron. He's not here, so this place isn't really perfect. This place isn't real, either._

No. It wasn't real, because Sarah couldn't exist in a world without Aaron.

Sarah hid her dark thoughts from her friends, and was pleased when she appeared to be successful. In the morning, she would command Rhiannon to do everything in her power to send her home, and if she didn't, there would be consequences. There were perks to being a queen, after all.

The next day, Sarah asked Bubble to bring her Rhiannon. The little goblin obeyed instantly, eager to please 'The Lady.'

In a flash, Rhiannon leaned on the door frame, eyes tight and mouth thin. "Let me guess. You're wanting to go home."

"Yes." replied Sarah simply.

Rhiannon looked at her and sighed, looking tired. "I have one more favor to ask before you go back to this 'real world' of yours. I need you to give audience to a few of the fey nobles."

"Oh, Rhiannon! You know more than I do about all this royal stuff. Why can't you do it?"

"I can fool a bunch of lessers and goblins, but the higher fey would see through me in a heartbeat. I don't hold the power. You do. Therefore, you must do this."

"Since when do we consort with them, anyway? Don't they usually leave us alone?"

"They've recently taken an interest in us, who knows why. And I've delayed the inevitable for as long as possible. The fey don't take no for an answer more than once. They're on the move. Our scouts say that they'll be crossing our borders by tomorrow morning."

"Is it a meeting, or an attack?"

"The Unseelie and Seelie are both on their way. So unless they've done the unthinkable and joined forces, it's definitely not an attack. But they will demand an audience, Sarah. I need you to meet with them."

"If I handle this, I'm free to go back?"

"Yes." Rhiannon hissed. "This is the last thing I require. Once you've finished, I'll send you back home to your precious boy."

Sarah couldn't eat breakfast after hearing what was coming for her tomorrow. Rhiannon drilled her with facts about the fey monarchs, and Sarah felt certain that she'd forget it all the moment it mattered. When lunch rolled around, Sarah pretended to be hungry just to get a break from Rhiannon's lecturing. The meal was fine until a series of explosions rang out from the kitchens. Rhiannon rose fluidly from the table and Sarah followed, curious.

With a wave of Rhiannon's hand their guises shifted and Sarah was Rhiannon and Rhiannon was Sarah. In a low undertone, Rhiannon whispered: "This is how things are run in the Goblin Kingdom. Tomorrow, if any of your subjects get out of line, you must act accordingly. Think of it as tough love, O softhearted Sarah."

Sarah glared at Rhiannon, who sniffed and ignored her. When they entered the kitchens, everything was in complete disarray. The goblins had managed to blow the bottoms off of two thick pans, and a few were still screaming and running. One was on fire. The rest were screaming on principle.

"Someone explain this to me." ordered Rhiannon in Sarah's form, folding her arms and looking utterly imposing. The goblins stopped screaming and stared up at her with impossibly huge eyes.

"Lady! It was Slump's idea. Slump was spicing the food. Making it hot, hot, hot!" offered one intrepid goblin.

"Slump add boom powder. Boom powder!" another squeaked.

Slump was hiding behind the others, clearly trying to duck a punishment.

"Slump, what do you have to say for yourself?" she asked.

"Only this, Ladyship. It seemed like a good idea at the time." he said.

"Now, my most slovenly subjects, tell me this: Who furnished Idiot Slump with boom powder? Someone must have masterminded this nonsense."

"It was Flib." muttered a particularly ugly female. "He's probably laughin' hisself silly."

Rhiannon looked over them all and must have felt that they were telling the truth. "Very well. Two punishments will be given. The lesser to Slump; don't ever deviate from a recipe again. The greater to Flib, because his antics don't amuse me."

"Oh! What punishment do they get, Milady? Water torture? The rack?" asked a goblin, shaking with excitement.

Rhiannon gave the goblin a look that could curdle milk. "Not the rack. Never the rack. You will not speak of it again."

"You've used the rack on them?!" Sarah whispered, furious.

"Can you blame me? They're monsters, literally." Rhiannon hissed back. "Your little imps ended up liking it anyway. I had to deal with them trying to earn turns on the 'stretchy stretch thingy' for days. It was... unpleasant."

Sarah frowned but didn't say any more. Her son was a perfect angel, so perhaps she really had no basis for comparison.

"Flib will be bathed daily for the next week, due to the severity of his crime. Slump, you will clip your toenails." ordered Rhiannon crisply.

Slump's eyes grew shiny but he didn't complain. Flib ran screaming from the kitchen, but the guards met him in the hall.

"Use the rosewater, men." Rhiannon intoned softly. The kitchen staff gasped and shrunk back, looking horrified.

"Y-y-yes, Your Majesty." replied a burly goblin guard. Flib cried bitterly as he was dragged away.

Rhiannon and Sarah left the ruined kitchen and headed back to the dining hall. With a flick of the wrist, she and Sarah were rearranged again.

"So, I should be tough on my subjects by threatening them with things most other creatures would enjoy?" Sarah asked.

"Basically. Think in opposites."

They ended their lunch with some simple bread and cheese, not wanting to eat anything contaminated with boom powder, whatever that was. Sarah then excused herself and went to her chambers using the pretext that she needed to prepare her wardrobe for tomorrow. She called the royal tailor, a willowy fey creature named Brighton, and told him to use his own judgement in creating a dress fit for meeting with the royal guests.

With that task handled, Sarah slipped out of the castle and allowed herself to wander around the kingdom. Her attention was caught by the enticing calls of an open air market, and she spent some time browsing the exotic wares and offerings. But none of it seemed like it was for her, so she wandered on.

Just as she was turning back towards the castle, a strange feeling filled her, and she knew someone was in the Labyrinth. Her Labyrinth. Sarah focused on the Labyrinth and closed her eyes. An image of a small girl filled her mind. Whoever it was, they weren't feeling very welcomed by the maze.

Sarah willed herself to be where this stranger was, and it happened. She found herself standing beside a tiny little girl who was sobbing forlornly.

"What is your business in my Labyrinth?" Sarah asked, folding her arms and gazing down at her.

The girl jumped and then stood up, gray eyes damp with tears. Her unbound blonde hair stuck to her cheeks where the tears had fallen. She looked no older than 10.

"I... I lost something, Your Majesty." she said with a bow. "I need to get it back."

"What have you lost?"

"I lost the favorite trinket of Queen Maeve." she moaned. "I can't go back without it."

"Queen Maeve? She's here?"

"Her entourage is right outside of the border. They are waiting for the Seelie to arrive before crossing into the Goblin Lands. Extending any less courtesy could start a war, Your Majesty."

"What makes you think this trinket you speak of is here in my territory?"

"The trinket was taken by creatures that are said to exist only in the Labyrinth. They are strange beings that worship flame."

"Do they sing and dance a lot?"

"That sounds right."

Perfect. Even as the Goblin Queen, Sarah didn't relish the thought of dealing with_ those_ things again.

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Song in Title: Here With Me by Plumb


	12. Chapter 12: Hide and Seek

**A/N: **I'd like to give a shout out to the following reviewers:

**The Queen of Water, Honoria Granger, Sarah Rose 29, F. E. Lin 78 and Joesette**

I'm posting this story as it's written, so reviews/feedback really help keep me going. Thank you for your ongoing support!

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_If I'm the Queen, surely a few Fireys will listen to me._

Sarah searched the Labyrinth for the creatures, little fey child following close behind. With the Goblin Queen's arrival, the Labyrinth had calmed and returned to its more Spring-like demeanor. The little girl's attention was frequently drawn away from the task at hand by a number of things: A particularly vibrant flower, an unusually friendly worm, an enchantingly tempting peach tree. The girl never asked to touch, smell, eat or talk to anything and Sarah was glad. She loved the Labyrinth, but she wasn't quite sure she trusted it.

Sarah couldn't help stealing glances at the fey when she felt sure she wasn't looking. Beautiful didn't even begin to describe the child. Her platinum hair looked as if it were illuminated with the light of a full moon despite the streaming sunlight all around them. Her gray eyes seemed to contain trapped starlight that flickered any time the youth took an interest in something, and the soft, pale cheeks of her cherubic face contained the faintest hint of a silvery glow. Surely no mortal ever looked as lovely as even the most ordinary fey child, and Sarah suddenly felt very plain in comparison.

"Why do you stare, Your Ladyship?" asked the immortal child without looking in her direction.

"I am judging your trustworthiness." Sarah lied.

"Am I found wanting?"

"No. I feel I can trust you."

"I'm one of the Unseelie. It would be a mistake to trust me." the child said, no trace of humor touching her face.

"This kingdom is neutral. I have no prejudice."

They wandered on, and the conversation dropped. Sarah had tried to conjure herself to the Fireys the way she had brought herself to the girl, but the Labyrinth wasn't offering their location to her. The Labyrinth had told her about the Unseelie girl because she was an intruder, but the Fireys were residents, so the maze wasn't helpful in finding them. Sarah hoped the little girl wasn't picking up on how lost she was as she tried to find the thieves and the Queen's trinket.

"I'll look the other way, if that's what it takes." the girl suddenly spat, glaring at Sarah. The child's softness of face and largeness of eyes made her fall short of the viciousness evident in her small voice.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"I'm not stupid. I know you're holding out on me because you think I'm a spy for the evil queen. I swear that I won't tell anyone about your magic, not even Queen Maeve herself. But if that's not good enough for you, I'll go stand in a corner somewhere." The girl conjured a black crystal orb in the palm of her hand and stared into it. "I'd track them myself, but this place is too strong. It's protecting those _things_ from my gaze."

As Sarah watched the actions of the girl, the palm of her left hand began to itch and burn under the surface of her skin. An urge to thrust her hand out, palm outstretched, hit her hard, and without thinking she obeyed the impulse. Instantly, a flat, sleek mirror appeared, hovering over her hand like a hummingbird. Inside of the looking glass, the Fireys were enjoying a rather spirited revel, clearly celebrating their new acquisition.

Once Sarah saw them, she knew exactly where they were. The urge to wish herself to where the Fireys were washed over her, and without thinking much about it, she grabbed the child's small arm and whisked them both there.

When they materialized in front of the Fireys' lair, the little girl hissed at Sarah, showing rows of perfect, shark-like teeth. Sarah recoiled from the child, and this seemed to abate the little girl's anger. The Unseelie covered her mouth with a small hand and looked up apologetically at Sarah.

"I was scared." she whispered.

"I noticed." replied Sarah coolly, though she forgave the child the instant the words left her pale lips. No need for the Unseelie Court to think that the Goblin Queen was an overly accommodating pushover.

The Fireys had noticed the new arrivals, and they had all gathered at the entrance of their den to greet them. This told Sarah that the trinket was hidden inside somewhere.

"Give back what you have stolen, or a terrible punishment awaits you." stated Sarah, no longer fearing the fire worshipers whatsoever. Extreme irritation did that to a person.

"We haven't done anything wrong, O Queen. Nothing wrong. Nothing wrong!" chanted a Firey. Others joined in.

"Merely gathering. Merely taking. Maybe borrowing, but never _stealing._" said another.

"No stealing. No stealing." they chanted.

"You took the trinket!" hissed the Unseelie girl, evil teeth flashing again.

"It was in the Labyrinth, under the shade of the Wishing Tree. Lawfully ours to take."

"Lawfully ours to take. Rightfully ours to keep. Ours to keep. Ours to keep!"

"Enough of this foolish chanting and nonsense." shouted Sarah over the din of chanting and chatter. "Give the trinket to me this instant, or there will be no fire in the Labyrinth."

"No fire? No fire? Milady, surely you wouldn't banish fire!"

"I would do better than that. I would cast a spell that turns fire to ice. Would you fellows enjoy that? The instant a fire crackles to life, it freezes over and turns into icicles? What fun!"

Sarah wasn't sure where her threat had come from, but one thing was certain: If these insolent Fireys disregarded her command one more time, she'd make it happen.

"Very well, O Queen. If it's the trinket you want, it's the trinket you shall have."

A small bundle was brought out from the den, and the Unseelie child lunged for it, hissing dramatically as she backed away with her prize. A small whimper rose up from the blankets, and the little girl's attention was instantly directed to the source of the noise. As she cooed and nuzzled, it dawned on Sarah that the trinket was a baby of some kind.

"The 'trinket' is a baby?" Sarah asked, dumbstruck.

"Yes. This one is Queen Maeve's favorite toy." said the Unseelie girl fondly. "I really shouldn't have been playing with it, but it's irresistible. Just look at his face."

The Unseelie girl moved so Sarah could see the infant's face, and she could see the appeal. The unclouded chocolate brown of the baby's eyes were piercing against its rich russet skin.

"The Unseelie collect babies?" Sarah asked, trying very hard to hide her distaste.

"Humans of all ages. They make the best toys. The Seelie are said to have their toys too." clarified the girl. "All of our trinkets are remarkable in one way or another. Talents, skills and the like. This baby has beauty, and he is also a Sighted One. He used to flirt with hidden fey while sitting on his mother's lap. All the humans thought he was imaginative, but no! He saw what humans aren't meant to see. I just love playful toys, and no creature plays quite like a human." she sighed and rubbed her pale cheek against the boy's golden forehead. He gurgled and grabbed a fistful of her moonlit hair.

"I see." replied Sarah, concealing her dismay at the idea of baby-stealing fey. "Why did you enter the Labyrinth with him?"

"Our camp has been sitting at the border for hours now, and I got bored. I had only planned to take a short walk with the trinket, but then I passed by an arch leading to the most beautiful walkway. I decided to walk down the path until I felt the barrier between the Seelie and Goblin lands, but doors slammed shut behind me as soon as I set foot on the stone. I hadn't seen the doors, otherwise I never would have entered." explained the fey girl. Her eyes were shifting nervously, and it seemed to Sarah that she was expecting a punishment of some kind.

"You are welcome to walk around the Labyrinth whenever you wish, but you will need a guide in the future. Call on me next time before entering the space unbidden."

"I wouldn't dream of 'calling' on you, O Queen! And I think I've seen enough of what this place holds for me. I put the baby down just long enough to climb to the top of the Wishing Tree for a better view, but look what happened. Those Firey things took the trinket, and the Labyrinth became eerie and hostile. Apparently it was all sunshine and roses for the baby, but not for me!"

Sarah didn't know what to say to that, so she said nothing. The child took the hint that their time was drawing to a close and bowed in Sarah's direction.

"You have done me a service, O Goblin Queen. I won't forget my debt." intoned the Unseelie girl, gazing in Sarah's direction with eyes distant and dreamy, staring past the Goblin Queen into someplace beyond.

"Don't mention it." Sarah muttered. "I didn't catch your name." She wanted to ask Hoggle or Rhiannon about this beautiful little creature when she got back to the castle.

"My name?" she echoed, paling considerably. "Is that the payment you require of me in exchange for your assistance in my time of need?" Her voice took a hysterical lilt at the end.

_You would think that I had just asked for her firstborn child, the way she's carrying on. _

"No. I simply wanted to know you better by making your acquaintance, that's all. If you don't want to share it, fine by me." Sarah huffed.

"Oh." said the girl, suddenly staring at Sarah sharply. "I must ask something, and I'd like to remind you that I'm a valued member of the Unseelie Court. If you do anything to me, there will be consequences."

"I'm not going to do anything to you, kid." replied Sarah through gritted teeth.

"Don't take this the wrong way or anything, but... are you human?" she asked, watching Sarah intently for her reaction.

"What makes you think I'm human?" asked Sarah warily. She had done something wrong and she knew it, but there was no undoing it now.

"A fey would never ask for my name, but a human would. You seem so honorable, and you seemed genuinely offended when I didn't give my name to you. Taking a fey's name is a rare kind of cruelty, even amongst the more vicious examples of our breed. More dignified to rip, rend and tear than to damn another being to that sort of fate."

Sarah felt caught. She knew that making a good impression on the courts was essential for maintaining the status quo, and admitting to being human would make the Goblin Kingdom an easy target. Yet pretending to be fey would make this entire incident incredibly insulting, and it would put the Goblin Kingdom on poor terms with the Unseelie Court. Sarah certainly didn't want that either. Of the two fey monarchies, the Unseelie had the worst reputation.

"I don't dislike humans." offered the fey child with a sharp, toothy smile. Those starlit eyes were now glittering at Sarah with good-natured curiosity. "I also swear not to tell. And if a fey swears to something, that promise can't be unbroken."

Deep down, Sarah knew it to be true; fey couldn't swear falsely. They could lie all day long, but they couldn't swear. She sighed in defeat. "It is as you say, little girl. I didn't mean anything by my request."

"My, my. How did a human come to rule the fey borderlands?" asked the child, clearly intrigued.

"Long story." Sarah replied. Never mind the fact that she had no clue. She was guessing the story would be a long one, regardless.

"Well. Don't let the royals know what you are, and don't ask for anyone's name. That constitutes an act of war." advised the child sagely.

A single word burned on Sarah's lips once the girl knew what she was, and it finally came out in a breathless rush. "Why?"

The fey child's smooth brow wrinkled in confusion. "Why what?"

"Why are names such a big deal for fey?" Sarah clarified. In truth, Sarah wanted to ask why about _everything_ now that she had this fey stranger duty-bound to answer.

"For fey, their True Name holds their power, and it also links them to existence. If they offer their name to someone willingly and freely and the other person accepts it, they may be commanded like a slave or even stamped out of existence as if they had never been at all. It's a dangerous, delicate thing."

"It's not like that for humans..."

"Humans aren't immortal, and they typically lack our power. Words are both timeless and powerful, so fey are closely linked with them."

"I see."

"Let that be my final piece of advice to you this day, Milady. Words are power. Farewell, O Goblin Queen."

"Wait. Shouldn't I escort you out of the Labyrinth?"

"The Unseelie camp calls to me. I only need follow the pull."

Sarah doubted that the girl would find her way alone through the confusing Labyrinth, so she decided to follow along behind her. When the girl turned a sharp corner, Sarah heard the sound of something rushing or rustling, and when she looked, both the fey and 'trinket' were gone.

Sarah conjured herself to the castle then, all thirst for adventure gone. What she wanted more than anything was to learn more about the strangers coming to the castle the following day. She would face the royals prepared, even if it meant forgoing sleep. Sarah knew she'd been lucky with that fey child. If she had let her true nature slip around someone that wasn't already in her debt, she shuddered to think what would happen.

_I wonder if this place has a library._

For some reason, Sarah didn't want to ask anyone about it. She wanted to find it herself. She chewed her lip and tried to sift through her memories. Surely a kingdom this great had a library, but she didn't recall one. Sarah clenched her left hand into a fist, feeling irritated at her lack of knowledge. _It's my own damn delusion!_ she thought angrily.

Her palm burned and instinctively, Sarah brought it in front of her face for a closer look. It glittered and glinted oddly in the dim castle light. Like in the Labyrinth earlier, she tried drawing the foreign object out from underneath her skin. This time it was a more deliberate process, and she shivered as the object slid through her sensitive palm. There was no pain, but it was an uncomfortable sensation regardless. A looking glass hovered in the palm of her hand then, and the image in the mirror was a large study filled top to bottom with ancient, dusty tomes.

_So we do have a library._

If she were home, Sarah would have paid a visit to her garden for a restorative tonic to sustain her through the sleepless night.

_Does this castle have an herb garden?_

Instantly the mirror's image wavered and a fastidiously managed garden came into view. The tiny image of Hoggle came into focus as well as he carefully tended some vines.

_Will you show me Aaron?_

The glass went dark.

_Of course not._ Sarah thought wryly. _If it showed me Aaron, this might not be a dream after all._

Sarah refocused on the garden and willed herself there, scaring Hoggle senseless when she arrived.

"Since when do you pop out of nowhere? Nearly gave me a heart attack, Yer Ladyship!"

"Sorry, Hoggle! I'm in a bit of a hurry. Do you have any jars I could borrow?"

"Sure." replied the dwarf. He went inside of a tiny hut and emerged with a filthy looking jar.

"Preferably clean, my friend."

Hoggle grumbled and went back inside to clean it out. He brought the jar back looking considerably cleaner, and Sarah said nothing about the fact that he dried it on the front of his dirty shirt.

"Thank you, Hoggle. I don't suppose you have any apple wine around?"

"Erm, no. You've taken to drinkin', Sarah? I never would have pegged yeh for a lush..."

"Do you have any wine? I think another kind would work."

"We dwarves are partial to gooseberry wine. I has a bottle of it inside if yer interested."

"Bring it, please. I think I need the alcohol."

Hoggle stared at her for a moment before bringing out a small flask of gooseberry wine. Sarah took it with a smile and poured it into the jar. She inhaled deeply and focused on the scent.

"It will work." she said after a moment's contemplation. She then set the jar aside and kicked off her shoes to be more connected to the ground.

Sarah began feeling out the garden, seeking things to make her feel awake, alert and rested. She was one with every leaf, vine and sprig in the otherworldly garden, and the right plants called to her. In no time, the jar was filled with an odd assortment of greenery. Sarah didn't know the half of them, but she felt certain that this tincture would do the trick.

"Milady, I never knew you were a sorceress." Hoggle muttered. "Why didn't you tell me? Friends tell each other important things like that!"

"I'm no sorceress! It's just a tonic."

"I knows magic when I see it, Sarah. You have crafted a potion, and a mighty fine lookin' one at that. That's a rare bit o' magic too. Few have the touch."

Sarah twirled the herbs around in the gooseberry wine with a practiced hand. "It's herbalism, nothing more." The mixture took on a warm glow and she nodded, satisfied.

"I'll be in the library if you need me, Hoggle." said Sarah, conjuring herself there by memory. It worked, and she began picking through the ancient books that were covered in a thick, filmy layer of dust. The dust in the castle contained a large percentage of glitter particles, and Sarah found that to be rather odd. No one in the kingdom seemed particularly fond of glitter. Sarah made the mistake of trying to blow the dust off, sending swirling dust motes into the air around her. The stuff made her eyes water and sting.

It occurred to Sarah that letting Rhiannon know about her plans for the evening might be prudent, so she summoned Bubble to the library while she waited for the dust clouds to clear. The little goblin maid poofed into existence a few feet from Sarah, looking confused and holding a loaf pan full of bread batter.

"Oops! How rude of me." muttered Sarah, sending Bubble back to the kitchens to finish her task. She waited for a few moments before summoning the goblin again.

"Did you get your bread in the oven?" asked Sarah, feeling embarrassment color her cheeks.

"Yes, Lady! How can Bubble help?" asked the goblin, bowing deeply.

"I was wondering if you could tell Rhiannon that I'm in the library. I plan to be here quite a while."

"Will do. Will do. Would The Lady send me back to the kitchens, then waits five minutes and brings me back?"

Sarah did as the goblin asked. When Bubble returned, she had a feather duster with her.

"Bubble, I'm sure you have better ways to spend your evening. I can handle a bit of dust."

"Dusting is fun! Bubble is good at it too. Watch me, Lady!"

Bubble dusted the entire library in record time, and Sarah had to admit to herself that having a servant's help was rather nice.

"I never knew the castle had a library, Lady." commented Bubble. "Lady Rhiannon was surprised about it too."

"She didn't know about it either?" asked Sarah.

"No, she didn't."

Sarah frowned. "That's odd." And it was. In fact, this entire trip into La La Land had felt different from her other episodes, but she couldn't put her finger on why.

With the dust cleared away, Sarah began studying the books in earnest. The letters looked foreign and unknowable.

"That's in Ancient, Lady. Nobody here can reads it. Can you reads it, being from the Above and all?" Bubble asked in a low voice.

Sarah stared at Bubble then, studying the goblin maid rather than the book in her hands. "What do you know, Bubble?'

"Bubble knows nothing, Lady." replied the goblin with a little bit of pride.

"Do all goblins know nothing?"

"Some goblins know more nothing than others, Lady. I know the least of all."

"So the goblins are loyal? I'll be able to trust them to keep quiet around our guests tomorrow?"

"Of course! Goblins is nothing if not loyal to The Lady."

"Well then, Bubble. I'll tell you why I'm troubled. These books had been in English a little while ago. I even remember the titles. This one-" Sarah picked up a massive volume with gilded pages. "is titled _The History of the Goblin Kingdom. _And this one-" she picked up a slimmer book. "is _Assorted Magicks: A Guide._ Yet when I look at them in person, it's all gibberish!"

"In person, Lady? You has another way to look at books?" asked Bubble, frowning at Sarah and the books in turn.

Without a word, Sarah created a mirror and held it out for Bubble to see.

Bubble stared in awe. "Shiny!" she breathed. "Lady has brought new magics from Above?"

"As far as I know, people Above don't conjure floating mirrors." corrected Sarah. She was just about to make the mirror disappear when she caught a glimpse of the bookcase behind her. In the mirror's image, the book titles were in English.

_So that's what the deal was._

"I think the mirror was translating them for me!" said Sarah.

"Ancient is a special language, Lady. Your mirror must be powerful to do that." said Bubble after a moment of thought. "Are you done with me tonight, Lady? Bubble will leave you to your readings."

"Go if you want, Bubble. But you're welcome to stay, if you wish. Aren't you curious about the knowledge these books hold?"

"I'm just a mere goblin, Lady. Goblins know their place."

"Maybe they don't. We're in the Goblin Kingdom: The kingdom that belongs to goblins."

Bubble's eyes went wide, but she didn't say anything more. Together, goblin and Goblin Queen shared a long evening of reading about the kingdom that connected them. As she read, Sarah noticed that words were sometimes blurred from the book. It looked like water had been dribbled on the ink before it dried, but the pages themselves held no evidence of water damage.

_'...even stamped out of existence as if they had never been at all.'_

The book dutifully told the history of the kingdom's establishment, but whoever or whatever had done the establishing was blanked out.

Sarah suddenly remembered her thoughts from a few nights back: _If only those dreams had been real. Life was so much easier when I believed in make believe and fantasy. When I believed in enchanted labyrinths and handsome Goblin Kings. When I believed in happily ever after._

Happily ever after was a heartless lie, and this beautiful world was a figment of her imagination. To believe in this delusion was to fully embrace unconsciousness and slip into a dream-filled slumber forever, leaving her son motherless. But with all that said, Sarah knew exactly who had been blotted from these pages, and it frightened her.

_The Goblin King._

The strange clothing in the bedroom's wardrobe. Her memories of being a stranger in the Labyrinth. The unsettling knowledge that something was _missing. _Sarah realized that she had been right. This kingdom wasn't supposed to have a queen.

It needed a king. And Sarah had no idea what his name was or how to find him.

* * *

Song in Title: Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap


	13. Chapter 13: The Wind

**A/N: **Big thanks to:** sheniyag - Chaos Aroura - xXvioletscriptXx - Cece and Joesette **Hugs, cookies and enchanted peaches to you!

Also, I underestimated how difficult it would be to write this using songs as titles. If you guys read a chapter and the perfect song for it comes to mind, please let me know.

Update: I originally uploaded this in a haste-filled frenzy, since life has been so busy lately. My face was aflame when I spotted the typos throughout! My apologies to anyone who saw them! Needless to say, I'm in the market for a Beta.

Thank you to all who are reading this story. You rock!

* * *

Humans are creatures of habit, forming routines to bring them comfort in even the most chaotic times. The Hawford house was no exception. As soon as Jareth regained his ability to fly, he was given free reign over the downstairs at night, and he always had access to the outdoors thanks to the dog door. Jareth never wandered far though, opting to stay close to Sarah and Aaron instead. Sarah was usually the first one up, and Jareth rather enjoyed watching her prepare breakfast in the morning. She made enough food to feed an army. Aaron could eat with the best of them, and it was fascinating to watch the small boy devour plate after plate of eggs, bacon and pancakes.

At that point during the morning routine, choices had to be made. He could stay with Sarah or accompany Aaron as he did his chores. Sometimes he opted to divide his time equally between the two, while other times he stayed with Sarah. Aaron's chores were hard and tedious, and Jareth didn't enjoy watching the boy struggle with them. Lifting and moving bales of hay posed a particular challenge for Aaron, but the little boy had developed a method involving a dolly, a shovel and a lot of pushing that eventually worked. It was during those especially difficult tasks that Jareth resented being in his owl form.

Daniel was always the last one to get up. He made it look like he did the bulk of the chores around the farm, but it was a purely supervisory role. Then he went to work without so much as a goodbye to his wife or son. Not that either of them cared. The moment Daniel's car pulled away, Aaron would sprint for the farmhouse, gather his books, kiss his mother and then bolt out the door to begin the mad dash to school. Aaron always walked at a brisk pace until he reached the end of the driveway and then launched himself into a full on run as soon as the house was out of sight. Jareth enjoyed 'walking' the little boy to school, and Aaron appreciated the company once he realized that the owl would always be back at the house waiting for him once the day was over.

Most mornings Aaron just barely made it to school in time. For the first few days, Jareth thought that maybe the kid lost track of time. But then it dawned on him: Aaron wouldn't leave for school until his dad left, even if it meant being late. Jareth was pretty familiar with human children. He had dealt with them for hundreds of years, after all. Yet in all that time, he had never met one quite like Aaron. The boy was an intriguing thing.

Once Aaron was safely escorted to school, Jareth would fly home and spend time with Sarah. She needed him most when she was all alone at home with her thoughts. Sarah put on a brave face for Aaron, but she was constantly worried over her brother. Honestly, she had every reason to be upset. The coins were much more than the calling card of a common criminal. They were payment for a life taken from the Above. Without seeing the coins firsthand, Jareth couldn't guess exactly who(or rather what) had taken Toby, but he was certain that the teen wasn't Above any longer.

When the school day was over, Aaron and Sarah did homework together. The boy didn't need much help, but it was a distraction for Sarah, so he came up with things for her to do. With homework finished, Sarah made dinner, they ate and then went to bed. At some point during the evening, Daniel would come home, bang things around, watch TV and glower, but he didn't dare lay a finger on his wife or son.

The routine wasn't even two weeks old, and already it was dull, monotonous, and steady. The only change had been when Sarah grew tired of sharing a room with Daniel. The man had been relentless in his attempts to fulfill his father's mandate of a second grandchild, even with the emotional turmoil Sarah was under. So downstairs she went, opting to sleep on a sofa so small that she had to curl up her knees just to fit. For some reason, that was the final straw for Jareth. In comparison to everything else he had seen and witnessed, this was nothing, but it represented an absolute breaking point for the former Goblin King. One way or another, he was going to kill the man. Ideally, he would do it in his true form, but he would settle for offing him as an owl if it came right down to it. Enough was enough.

The situation with Toby had him pining for his powers with renewed fervor though, regardless of his decision regarding Sarah's husband. Jareth had grown very fond of the boy during Sarah's charmed run through the Labyrinth, and he felt duty bound to rescue him one way or another. But as an owl in the Above, he was powerless to save a human captive in the Fey Realms.

_Oh Sarah, say my name. Just say my name once, and all this will be over with. _Jareth thought, gazing down at the sleeping woman from his nearby curtain rod perch. The barest whisper of his name would be good enough. If there was a woman stubborn enough to recall the unrecallable, it would be her.

Morning light illuminated the living room through the sheer curtains, but Sarah didn't stir. It had been so long since the woman had slept that it seemed natural for her to sleep long and hard now that she was finally unconscious. But when Aaron came downstairs, his face was pale and his eyes were wide as he took in Sarah's sleeping form.

"Mom, wake up." he said urgently, placing a small hand on her shoulder and shaking. There was no response, and Jareth had the dawning realization that Sarah might not be merely sleeping after all.

Aaron bit his lip and ran to the kitchen, bringing back a small towel damp with cool water. Without ceremony, he tossed it over his mother's face so suddenly that it would shock even a drunk awake. There was no reaction from the sleeper. In panic, Jareth flew to her side and reached out for her mentally, hoping to pull the woman back from whatever it was that gripped her, but he felt nothing. It was like trying to connect with a rock. His powers were also beginning to ebb, fading away like a flame without oxygen.

There was a creaking snap from the floorboards upstairs, followed by the sounds of Daniel trudging into the bathroom. Aaron immediately ran from his mother's side and went for the phone in the kitchen. With trembling fingers, he punched three buttons on the dial and waited.

"My mom needs help." said Aaron to whoever was on the line. "She's unconscious and unresponsive." He listened for a moment and then replied. "It's 1177 Hawford Drive. Please hurry."

Daniel had heard Aaron on the phone and came running down the stairs just in time to see his son hanging up. "What do you think you're doing?" he hissed, nearly two weeks of forced good behavior clearly taking a toll on his nerves.

"Mom's sick. I called for help." Aaron replied.

"You should have come and got me so I could make the call. This is my house, that is my phone-"

"And that is my mom!" Aaron yelled. "Like I would count on you to get her help. I remember the time that you waited three days before calling anyone! That's dangerous, and you know it."

Daniel's eyes bulged. "What? That never happened!"

"Yes, it did. I remember it clear as day. It was four years ago. She came home a week after my birthday."

"As impressive as your little history book is, that never happened." Daniel sniffed. "But you can believe what you want."

"Yes, I can!" cried Aaron. "And you know what? I bet other people would believe me over you any day!"

Jareth prepared for the worst, fully expecting Daniel to lunge for Aaron. He was ready to hold him off long enough for the boy to make a quick escape out the front door, though knowing Aaron, he would probably be unwilling to leave Jareth or his mother behind, even for his own safety.

_The eyes will be the best target,_ he decided. _He can only do so much blinded..._

But Daniel didn't explode. Instead, he deflated and started crying. "You have no idea how hard this is." he blubbered, putting his face in his hands. "And to have you stand there, throwing insults at me... Isn't it bad enough that your mother is sick? Isn't it hard enough to know that she might _die?_ Do you really have to pull your shit and make it worse?"

Aaron was stunned. "...Mom might die?" he echoed in a small voice.

"Of course, you stupid boy! She never let me tell you the truth of how bad it was, because she wanted to protect you. Any time she goes under, there's the chance that she won't ever wake up. And you-" he pointed a finger in Aaron's face. "stress her out every chance you get. You're always playing us against each other, and she always believes your side of the story, even when you've got it all wrong. Would you believe that she loved me once? That we were happy once? All that changed as soon as you came along."

"This isn't my fault-"

"Think back, if you _can_. Think of every time she's had an episode. It's always after you've pulled your shit and dragged her in the middle of something. If you were a good kid, if you obeyed and did what you're supposed to, it wouldn't have happened. This time is an exception to the rule. Usually, it's because of you."

To Jareth's dismay, Aaron looked like he had just taken a punch to the stomach. _How could Aaron believe this pathetic display? Those tears aren't real. True despair isn't conjured at the drop of a hat.  
_

"Your drinking puts more stress on her than I ever did." countered Aaron.

"You know what the funny thing is?" asked Daniel as he wiped snot and tears off on the sleeve of his plaid shirt. "I never drank until you came along. I'd have a beer with the guys now and then, but I was never much of a drinker. Guess you bring out the best in people, son."

An authoritative knock on the front door interrupted any further discussion. Jareth had the sense to hide himself away before the door was opened and in no time, Sarah was loaded into the back of an ambulance. There was no connection between him or Sarah now that his powers were gone, but watching the vehicle roll down the driveway without following along was painful nonetheless. He was torn between Sarah and Aaron, but he had done all he could for her before the healers had taken her away. His presence might actually do Aaron some good, so it was only logical to stay, especially given the current atmosphere between father and son.

As soon as his mother was gone, Aaron grabbed his backpack and ran out the door, not even noticing that Jareth followed along above him. Instead of going down the driveway, Aaron ran behind the house, passing the garden and pastures, and then plowed his way through the tall grasses that marked the unused portion of the land. The little boy's face was cold and hard as stone, and the only thing that gave any evidence of internal turmoil were the stubborn tears that streamed down his cheeks.

Aaron's feet moved him forward for hours, and Jareth didn't stop him. _Let the little boy lose himself for a while. _he thought. _I'll lead him back when the time comes._

Abruptly, Aaron pulled up short and stood still. Then he laid down and stared listlessly up at the afternoon sky, letting the tall grass surround him like a green wall. Jareth zigzagged in and out of Aaron's line of vision, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Is it true, God? Is all this my fault? Did I make this happen?" asked Aaron, now casting an imploring gaze at the sky. "I know I'm the reason why Mom stays with him. I've always known. I've known and felt guilty about it... so I guess it's true regardless, isn't it? Whether my dad was right or not, it's all my fault! Why? Why did you let this happen? I wish I'd never been born! If you're so great and so good, unmake me. Undo this huge mistake."

Out in the endless field, Aaron cried bitterly, thinking he was all alone save an owl and a God who seemed so quiet and distant that he wondered if he were listening at all. A wind had blown away the trail that Aaron had made in the grass, and the boy had been motionless since his tears had went dry. Dusk was falling, and darkness would soon surrounded them.

Jareth knew he would be no match for predators, should the boy decide to make a night of it. The owl landed on Aaron's chest and flapped his wings impatiently, but the boy didn't respond. Finally, he pecked the top of his head, drawing out a gasp of pain from the child statue.

Aaron shoved Jareth away. "I'm not going back, if that's what you're thinking. That house is hell without her there, and I hate him more than anything. All I want is to lay here until the Earth swallows me whole."

_What would your mother say, if she heard you talking like this? _Jareth mused.

He tried again and again, but Aaron was only growing used to the sensation of being pecked. Darkness surrounded his small body, and Jareth doubted the boy would be able to follow him home in the dark now anyway. The thought of Aaron spending the night alone in the open field was intolerable to the owl, so he pulled the zipper pull off of Aaron's backpack and took to the skies, hoping to run into some sort of help. As much as he hated it, Daniel would have the best chance of recognizing one of Aaron's belongings, so he flew back to the house. Alone and propelled by worry, Jareth was there in minutes. To his surprise, the house was dark. There was no worried father, no search party, nothing but an empty house.

Immediately, Jareth flew to the Clearie house, as much as it pained him to do so. He managed to get the twins' attention only to have them lob rocks at him. Mrs. Clearie caught the boys in the act and punished them for it, but she didn't understand the significance of the zipper pull that Jareth kept dropping at her feet.

Jareth figured Henry would be helpful, but he had no idea where the man lived. Finally, he resigned himself to the fact that he would have to stand guard over the boy during the night, if only as a means of drawing attention away from Aaron should the worst happen. It wasn't enough protection and he knew it, but he had no other option. He began flying back to the field only to be buffeted by strong winds that knocked him off course significantly.

_Damn this infernal curse! Aren't things bad enough? Is it too much to ask for a little mercy?_

The winds had brought him close to a little house that was bright and glowing with light. Jareth could see a figure moving around in the kitchen. For a lark, he landed on a low-hanging branch nearest to the house and rapped on the glass of the kitchen window. He rapped again and again and then peered in, wondering why no one was looking to see what the noise was. As soon as his face filled the window, a shrill scream reverberated through his sensitive ears. A young woman stood to the side of the window, peeking at it as if she had expected the Devil himself to pop up in the space like a damnable, real life Jack-in-the-Box. Jareth cast her his most mild glance and gently rapped at the window again. As if in response, the cruel wind nearly blew him off the branch. His grip on the tree wasn't very secure with only one foot. With as much dignity as he could muster, he righted himself and prepared to tap again.

To his chagrin, the woman had seen his graceless display. She moved closer to the window, as if she believed him to be safer now that she'd seen him nearly fall. She reached out and put a trembling hand on the lock of the window. The other hand was over her heart, and even though panes of glass separated them, Jareth swore he could hear the sounds of a frantic heartbeat. She bit her lip and stared, but the wind made the decision for her. Another gust blew Jareth and the tree he stood on, and impossibly, the frightened woman unlatched the window and let him in. He perched on the back of one of her kitchen chairs and resisted the urge to flap his wings to make the feathers right again.

___I must concentrate on looking as small as possible. _No sudden movements. Honestly, I've met braver mice than this girl. he thought wryly.

"I don't want any trouble." said the woman, stretching her palms out in front of her in supplication. "May you be what you seem to be, and if not, may you act like it while in my house."

Jareth could only blink at her. How long had it been since he'd met humans that talked like that? It was like going back in time by a few hundred years, back to the days where myths and legends were viewed as cautionary tales rather than bedtime stories for children. Modern humans lacked the superstition of their ancestors, yet here was a throwback.

Jareth was seriously regretting coming here. Locked in the house of a crazy person, it would now be even harder to get back to Aaron. Jareth figured it wouldn't take much of a scene to convince the nervous woman to let him back out, but this whole thing was a colossal waste of valuable time.

He was settling on the proper tactic to take when he saw the woman take a large gulp out of a mason jar. The glowing liquid immediately calmed her nerves, and Jareth realized that whoever this was, she had to know Sarah. How else would she be drinking one of her potions? A new sort of shock settled on her face, and Jareth wondered what he had done to frighten her yet again. He followed her gaze and found it to be directed at his talon, where the zipper pull rested against the back of the dining chair.

"That's Aaron's." she whispered. "And that means you're the bird from the church. What are you doing here? Why aren't you at the Hawfords'?"

She spoke to him as if she knew she were addressing an intelligent being. If only he could talk. That would be tremendously helpful. In a flash of inspiration, he dropped the zipper pull, hopped over to the phone on the counter and knocked the receiver off the cradle. Then when he was sure she was watching, Jareth pecked at the same pattern of keys he had seen Aaron press earlier. When she paled, he knew the message was successfully delivered.

She ran from the room then, and Jareth's excitement faded. _The Fates hate me._ he couldn't help but groan. But then the woman ran back in wearing a heavy coat and carrying a giant flashlight.

"You've come to lead me to him?" she asked. He inclined his head in reply. "You're a familiar then? You're Sarah's familiar?"

Jareth flinched. _Ah, I was wondering if I had any pride left. Judging by the pain of that remark, I did. The very idea of being a mortal witch's instrument..._

In answer, he flew over to the door and waited expectantly. She began the time consuming process of unlocking the six heavy duty deadbolts that ran down the side of the solid steel door, along with a chain for good measure. Jareth couldn't be certain, but he thought he saw anointing oil gleaming along the door frame.

_I wonder what this poor woman is afraid of. She's living in the most boring town on Earth._

He took to the air as soon as the door opened and began flying in Aaron's direction. The progress was painfully slow because the woman was on foot and it was hard for her to see, but it was something. After several minutes, the woman stopped and stared at the ground, face tight and frowning. Jareth circled back and hooted at her impatiently, and she raised tear-filled eyes to his.

"I can't. I can't go in there." she said softly. Her voice and hands shook, and Jareth recognized genuine terror in her features. Jareth landed on her shoulder, and the woman was too distracted by her own misery to object or make a fuss. When she did take notice of him, he lifted a wing and brushed it across her face. She nodded as if in response and then forced her foot to touch the earth beyond some invisible line.

A surge like static pulsed through her, and Jareth felt it too. It was the strangest sensation, and for the first time, Jareth questioned how crazy the woman really was. Maybe she wasn't a lunatic at all. Now that she had crossed into the field, she was running forward, and the owl was content to stay on her shoulder until she was far enough in to be directed towards Aaron. Her fear-induced speed was admirable, and he knew they would make it soon.

A terrified scream rang out through the dark field, and Jareth bristled. The voice was hardly distinguishable for the fear and pitch, but it was definitely Aaron's. The woman surprised him by bolting towards the noise, rather than away.

"Aaron! Aaron, where are you? Start yelling, boy! Let me know where you are." she shrieked. Jareth jumped from her shoulder and took to the sky, desperately looking for the boy he never should have left alone. Another scream alerted him to the exact location of his quarry. The darkness was nothing to him, and he could see the scene below him plain as day.

It stopped him cold.

* * *

Song in Title: The Wind by Demon Hunter


	14. Chapter 14: Forward Motion

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who reads this story! :) And a big thanks to the following reviewers: **Guest, Joesette, Sarah Rose 29, Buggus264, Kypriothe and xXvioletscriptXx**

**Kypriothe asks: "**I have a question about Aaron's age: in earlier chapters, it sounded like he was a senior in high school, but then a few chapters, Jareth refers to him as a "little boy", which doesn't really sound like the senior boys I know... can you clarify?"

Great question! Aaron is 12, and he's in 7th grade. Aaron is a pretty serious 12 year old, and he's already worrying about college, which makes him seem older than what he is. To his mother, he is (and always will be) her little boy. And to someone as old as the Goblin King, he seems pretty young.

* * *

Rather than preparing her, the long evening of reading and research actually made Sarah more nervous about the upcoming ordeal with the fey monarchs. Now that she was painfully aware that something (or rather, someone) was horribly amiss in this fantasy world, she felt like a charlatan and a phony. The Goblin Queen? How ridiculous. Yet the fact remained that the rightful ruler was gone, and she was left standing in his place. Would the royals have better luck remembering the existence of the banished fey than she did? Sarah hoped not.

As blind panic threatened to swallow her, Sarah called an emergency meeting of her small band of friends and allies. This was a problem that involved the entire kingdom, and Sarah knew she couldn't figure it out alone. When they were all assembled in the once secret library, Sarah showed them the history book with the blotted out passages.

"I was right. I'm not supposed to be the Goblin Queen. This kingdom belongs to whoever was struck from these pages."

"Kings and queens are overthrown. That's not worth getting excited over, Sarah. Even Oberon himself deposed the previous king of the Spring and Summer Courts before beginning his own illustrious reign, and I know for a fact that Titania has blotted a few of her enemies out of existence. Likely in the same manner too, since no one can even recall the ones Titania is rumored to have gotten rid of." countered Rhiannon. "These lands say that you're their ruler. If the land says it, so it is."

"Methinks the Lady may have a valid point, so I must humbly disagree. I mean no offense, O General." Sir Didymus bowed in Rhiannon's direction. The girl rolled her eyes in response, but the knight didn't notice. "What if the previous ruler of the Goblin Kingdom is responsible for the sleeping curse you're under? If that's the case, this is worth getting excited about. Perhaps we can find a cure."

_Ah, yes. My friends think I'm under a sleeping enchantment._

Usually, Sarah quietly attended to whatever mayhem or chaos was plaguing the kingdom during her involuntary stays in the Underground. It could have been a massive coincidence, but it seemed like she only woke up to the real world once the imaginary kingdom was stabilized. In an ongoing effort to go home and stay home, Sarah did everything in her power to keep things on an even keel in the Underground, even to the point of enlisting a shapeshifter to take her place as Queen while she was gone.

However, Sarah was starting to believe that this may have been the wrong tactic to take. Maybe the answer wasn't to keep the ruse going no matter the cost. Maybe the solution was to come clean and tell the truth. Telling the truth would certainly set better on Sarah's conscience than continuing to lie to her friends.

_But how exactly do you go about telling your dearest friends that you think they're imaginary?_

Sarah didn't have an answer to that, but she figured telling her friends about her time in the Above was a decent start.

"I think it's time for us to have a long overdue conversation. And I ask that you be patient with me, please." Sarah asked, staring at each of her friends in turn.

"Well, that sounds real ominous." grumbled Hoggle, looking more sour than usual.

"Sawah sad?" asked Ludo.

"No, I'm not sad. Just nervous." replied Sarah, eager to reassure her friend.

"Are you sure about this, O Queen?" asked Rhiannon.

"I am sure. It just... feels right." Sarah replied. And it did. Nothing about this trip into her dream world seemed normal, and for the first time ever, it felt like actual progress was being made. Sarah wasn't sure if she was headed towards salvation or damnation, but it was forward motion. After languishing in a state of limbo for so long, anything felt like an improvement.

"We will listen to your words, Fairest One." vowed Sir Didymus. "Unburden yourself, and allow us to assist you in any way we can."

"Well, for starters, I'm not from around here." admitted Sarah. "I'm from the Above."

"The Above?" asked Sir Didymus.

"Above?" echoed Hoggle.

"Yes. I'm not originally from the Underground."

"Sawah human?" Ludo asked, staring at Sarah intently.

"Yes. I'm a human. Nothing more." Sarah admitted softly, feeling shame color her cheeks.

"Yer no human, Sarah. You poof and vanish and brew potions. And yeh conjure mirrors, too. Humans can't do stuff like that." argued Hoggle gruffly.

"Be that as it may, I was born Above to human parents. And in my world, I have no special powers." explained Sarah. She was going to say that in _real life_ she had no powers, but she wasn't ready to drop that bomb yet. 'My world' seemed like a softer way to deliver that revelation.

"All of your subjects remember you as the Queen, Lady Sarah. Always and only you." said Sir Didymus. "And what do you mean by _your world?_ I was not aware that you could visit the Above without an invitation."

"Whenever I fall into that deep, unwaking sleep, I'm really living my normal life Above." said Sarah softly. "For me, my life Above is routine. Waking up here is an aberration. Honestly, there is no sleeping enchantment. When I 'sleep,' I'm simply going home."

"So that's why you always talk about having 'gone away' when you first awaken. In your mind, you have indeed traveled far!" marveled Sir Didymus. "Have you considered that it may in fact be a curse of some kind? Maybe the world you visit during sleep is merely an illusion designed to keep you trapped in slumber."

The very idea sent a thrill of fear rushing down her spine, and Sarah was surprised to see the expression mirrored on Rhiannon's face. If the general cared at all for Sarah's life Above, she had a funny way of showing it, yet signs of distress were there nonetheless.

"If it were an illusion created to keep me asleep, surely it would be more pleasurable." Sarah retorted as an image of Daniel flashed through her mind.

_Yes, Daniel is rock solid proof that the real world is no fantasy._

Her friends frowned at that, but they didn't argue the point.

"Have yeh got everything off yer chest yet, Sarah?" Hoggle asked.

"I have a son." offered Sarah. Now that she was sharing, she couldn't stop. "He's a wonderful boy, and he means the world to me."

"Sawah... mama?" asked Ludo, looking puzzled.

Sarah smiled at the gentle giant. "Yes. Sarah is a proud mama, but only Above. My son isn't here." _  
_

"That's... remarkable." said Sir Didymus slowly. "That's also quite tragic, Milady. To be trapped worlds apart from your own flesh and blood. My heart bleeds for thee, my dear girl!" The fox knight began to wipe at his eyes.

"Sawah sad!" cried Ludo, stomping his foot. The floor shook violently in response.

Hoggle said nothing, but Sarah saw him covertly blowing his nose when he thought she wasn't paying attention. Rhiannon merely cast her a questioning look, as if to say: _What now, Your Ladyship? Was this your splendid plan? _Bubble already knew everything, so she wasn't surprised. She simply continued sweeping the library as everyone talked, seeming to be blissfully unaware of anything at all.

"Please don't be upset, guys. Look at this face! Do I look upset to you?" Sarah grabbed Ludo's arm and pulled him down to face her, eye to eye. Ludo obediently stopped crying but held Sarah in an iron grip instead, as if he could hug her problems away.

"I need to find the Goblin King. I think he's the answer to all this trouble." stated Sarah.

"Once a fey is driven out of existence, it's forever." Rhiannon replied.

"I don't think he's completely gone." Sarah argued. "His clothes are still here, and if I focus really, really hard, I can almost make out the letters in his name. Almost. That's not nonexistence. The Goblin King hasn't been blotted. It's more like smudged."

"I am more than willing to assist you in your quest to find our forgotten ruler, Dearest Sarah." pledged Sir Didymus, ever the valiant knight.

"This is bound to be a wild goose chase, Sarah. You're grasping at straws here, and you know it." said Hoggle.

"If it's grasping at straws, so be it." murmured Sarah. "I can't live like this anymore. If finding the Goblin King will set things right, I have to try. I'm not telling you to help me if you don't want to. But if you remember something, anything at all, please share it with me."

Hoggle glared at Sarah sharply. "I never said I wouldn't help! I just think it's hopeless, that's all."

"That's all, huh?" muttered Sarah sarcastically.

"I do know one thing, Sarah." offered Hoggle.

"What?" asked Sarah, unable to hide her excitement.

"He's a real rat."

"That's not funny!"

"It wasn't supposed to be! I really thinks he's a real rat."

The friends finished up their discussion and for the first time in a long while, Sarah felt hopeful. If she could restore permanent balance to this fantasy of hers, there would be no reason to revisit this place in the future. The thought of never seeing her friends or the Labyrinth again hurt her now while she was steeped in this dream world, but she knew that the pain would be lessened if she were awake in the real world. Distance and disbelief always dulled the discomfort of being away.

With that said, Sarah felt certain that only her friends should know about how things really stood. The last thing Sarah wanted was to accidentally turn this recurring dream into a nightmare. The royals had the power to turn this fantasy into a special kind of hell, so keeping up appearances for them was still the plan in Sarah's mind. She put all thought of the Goblin King aside and steeled herself for the upcoming show as she made her way to the Queen's Quarters. Her new gown was laid out on the bed, waiting for her. It wasn't poofy, and Sarah was very grateful for that.

The dress was a stately, simple thing that fell to Sarah's ankles. The plain smoothness of the A-line silhouette made Sarah's figure look long and lean, and it allowed the jaw-dropping fabric to shine uninhibited. The material was jewel green, and it reflected light like polished glass. Sarah was half afraid to touch it, lest she leave fingerprints behind. But the fabric was clearly magicked, so no hand prints remained.

With utmost care, Sarah shrugged into the dress. It didn't shatter, and it was actually quite comfortable, much to her relief and delight.

"And now for hair." Sarah said to herself, gazing at her untamed tresses. She couldn't help feeling giddy as she stared at her emerald-clad reflection in the floor length mirror. Giggling, Sarah spoke: "Mirror, mirror on the wall, give me the fairest hair of all!"

With a flash and a flicker, Sarah's hair suddenly smoothed and curled itself, right before her disbelieving eyes. Then, like a fast-growing vine, a thin braid plaited itself and snaked across her forehead. Just when Sarah thought the spell was done, bejeweled flowers bloomed throughout the braid, putting the final touch on a crown fit for a princess.

_'Words are power.'_

"I look positively medieval!" she said, staring at her image in the mirror. They would believe she was fey now, because for a half second, Sarah believed it herself.

"I don't suppose you have any makeup lurking in there, do you, Mirror?"

Nothing happened. That wasn't exactly a command issued with conviction, though.

"Mirror, please make my face, eyes and lips look beautiful!"

Sarah blinked, and it was so. The change wasn't anything dramatic, just a touch of color here and there. Rather than feeling disappointed, Sarah felt as if she had received the highest compliment. She wasn't sure how she viewed herself after years of living with a man who treated her like a flawed, imperfect thing, but 'beautiful' certainly wasn't the first word to spring to mind.

With a playful curtsy to the mirror, Sarah stepped into the shoes laid out for her and left the chambers with her head held high, feeling every inch a queen.

* * *

Song in Title: Forward Motion by Thousand Foot Krutch


	15. Chapter 15: Perfect Life

**A/N:** I really should have saved this chapter, since I've kind of settled into a once a week posting pattern. However, it seemed rotten to leave Aaron's fate up in the air for another whole week. So, here's the next chapter. :) Happy Spring Break, everybody!

* * *

Aaron stood at the center of the small clearing his body had made in the tall grass, cradling a bleeding arm and staring warily at a spot a couple of feet away. There were new trails in the field where a procession of some sort had come upon the boy, but the creatures themselves were invisible to Jareth's gaze. The woman suddenly burst into the small clearing and took Aaron into her arms. Her eyes were riveted to the same spot that the boy watched. Her mouth twisted and with nothing short of malevolent glee, she flipped a switch on her massive flashlight. The pure white beam was replaced with an infrared one, and she shined it on the spot where the unknown monster stood. There was a shimmer, followed by an audible hissing sound, like the striking of a flint.

Jareth watched the grasses shiver and patterns rearrange as the invisible beasts regrouped in response to the disturbance.

"You see them too?" asked Aaron, horror making his voice a high pitched whine.

The woman nodded. "I do. Get ready to run, Aaron. We're going to have to make a break for it."

"We can't possibly outrun them. They're too fast, and there's at least five of them-"

"If we don't run, we die. I have one flashlight, and they'll only stay down so long."

The grasses rustled and parted, and the woman lunged forward, likely blasting the thing with the flashlight at point blank range.

"Now!" she hissed, grabbing Aaron's uninjured arm and dragging him along. A rush of blood ran down his arm in response to the change in blood pressure as he exerted himself. The woman stopped abruptly, handed Aaron the flashlight and stripped off her belt. In a second, she had a makeshift tourniquet around his arm to stave off any further bleeding.

The stop cost them their escape. From the air above, Jareth could see the patterns in the grass moving to circle around them both. He dove and collided with one unknown entity, sending it sprawling out of formation. The others didn't respond to the attack on their comrade as Jareth had hoped they would, instead continuing to tighten the circle closing in on woman and boy.

They were in a holding pattern that could only last so long. She would focus the beam of her flashlight only to be forced to redirect it at another oncoming attacker, and the pack was wearing her down. Working together, no single beast was hit with enough of the infrared light to be stunned. The creatures were quick learners.

Jareth joined their circle and worked to mitigate the attacks from behind, using Aaron's eyes and his own sense of hearing as a guide for guessing the location of the targets. Even with his superior sense of hearing, he only heard them coming when they got too eager or careless. Most of the time, the rustling of the dry, wispy grasses was muffled and muted. Jareth's efforts turned the tide considerably, but it wasn't enough. The barrage of attackers didn't slow, but the humans were showing signs of fatigue. Jareth's own reactions were starting to slow as well.

The humans both jumped and looked to the east in unison, as if a loud sound had caught their attention. Jareth heard nothing.

"That's bad, isn't it?" asked Aaron.

"Yes. More will be here soon."

_If reinforcements are coming, we are doomed._

The trio held their ground, and Jareth heard the little boy whispering behind him. "I take it back. I'm not ready to die! Please save us."

A sudden shimmer appeared in front of Jareth's face. Before he had time to dodge, an invisible net covered him, its gossamer thin strands as strong and unyielding as steel cables. He was brought to the ground in an instant, and the grass parted inches away from his face. Hot breath moved over him and an acidic vapor made his eyes sting.

At what was surely the last moment, Aaron scooped up the owl and tucked him under his injured arm, keeping his good arm free to work at the net holding the bird. The woman finally gave up on beaming their enemies and switched to bashing at them with her flashlight like a club.

Jareth heard the engine before anyone saw the vehicle coming, barreling through the grasses and leaving a parted path reminiscent of the Red Sea behind it. Panic warred with relief in Jareth's mind as the truck rolled straight towards them without checking its speed. As it came upon the group, the truck veered to the side sharply, coming to a sudden stop nearby.

The sounds of an opening door and running footfalls came to them, along with a man's voice shouting. The attackers scattered at the sound, and suddenly, impossibly, the battle was over.

The grass parted and Henry appeared, gasping when he saw the state of the people he found. Aaron was white and trembling from fear and bloodloss, and the woman had gashes and scratches all over her shaking hands. Illuminated by the bright headlights of the truck, they looked frightful.

"Into the truck." he said, gripping Aaron by the shoulder and pulling him along. Jareth was still held by the boy, and both were ushered into the front passenger seat. The adrenaline of the fight and worry for the boy at his side countered the discomfort he usually felt in vehicles. All he felt was gratitude.

"Nora, come on!" Henry yelled. The woman was frozen, motionless and unmoving as she stared at the truck. With a sigh, Henry dragged her none too gently to the vehicle and shoved her in the back. With everyone safely on board, the old man drove out of the field following the same path he created while coming in.

Aaron struggled with the net, trying to unbind Jareth. "I can't get it off." he mumbled tiredly to Nora in the back. "Would you try?"

An icy cold hand grabbed Jareth from Aaron's side and soon he was in the frightened woman's lap. Her flashlight was dented, abused and cracked, but it still managed to put out a fair amount of light. The net that covered his entire body was invisible to him, but the way the woman worked at it indicated that she could see it just fine. The tedious task of untangling the snare appeared to have a calming effect on her nerves, and soon her hands were warmer when she happened to touch him.

The ride was quiet, and no one broke the silence with questions or talk of what had happened in the field. Even when the net was loosened enough for Jareth to squeeze out of it, no one spoke. The woman merely folded the invisible object up and shoved it in a pocket of her tattered and ruined coat. Finally free from the netting, Jareth moved back to the front seat to be near Aaron. The boy didn't look at him, but he stroked his feathers gently. Henry stole glances at the boy frequently, and shook Aaron's leg whenever he appeared to be getting drowsy.

When the vehicle pulled to a stop, they weren't in front of a hospital. It was a massive gated estate. Jareth was surprised, but no one else seemed to care. The two adults led Aaron into the house, and Jareth flew through the open door before anyone could stop him.

No one complained about his presence in the building. Aaron was told to sit in a kitchen chair, and within moments the dining room table was covered in medical supplies. In the bright indoor light, the wound on the boy's arm looked hideous, and Jareth swore he saw pale white bone.

_The wound wasn't that deep when we arrived. _Jareth noted.

"We have to neutralize the acid." Henry muttered, walking over to a cupboard and throwing the doors open, exposing row upon row of bottled potions, pastes, salves and loose dry herbs. He picked out a small pot of strange smelling green paste along with some sort of potion.

"Take a couple of drinks of this." he said, handing Aaron the jar. "And a few of these for good measure." He shook three pills from a bottle that was on the table amongst all the medical supplies. Aaron stared at the pills with a frown.

"I'm a kid. By bodyweight, I'm only supposed to take one."

"If you were in a hospital, they would give you that amount."

"And if my liver stopped working, help would be close by." Aaron muttered. He only swallowed two pills with the amber liquid but Henry didn't comment.

"It's going to be painful no matter what we do." said Nora softly.

"It looks like it's eating me away." Aaron commented. "Whatever you're going to do, do it now."

Henry shook his head. "I'd like to give the meds a little more time-"

"And I would like to keep my arm." interrupted Aaron. "It feels like the teeth are still there, biting deeper and deeper into me."

"Let's stack the tonics then, shall we? Give him one for anxiety, one for wakefulness and one for energy. That should make treating the wound easier." advised Nora.

"Is it safe to mix tonics?" asked Henry.

"I've seen it done before."

"Then that's the plan."

Aaron dutifully swallowed down everything that the adults handed to him, but the final liquid gave him pause. "This one smells different than the others. I don't think I want to take it."

"It's a fine tincture." Henry assured him, taking a small sip of it himself. "I bought it from an herbalist in New Orleans a few years back. It'll keep you awake."

Aaron grimaced but drank some anyway. His eyes instantly widened and became more alert, but the overriding fatigue and sickly pallor remained.

With Aaron prepared, Henry filled the wound with the paste. It was a shocking green against the crimson stained skin, and Aaron hissed and gasped each time fresh salve hit his raw, tender wound. The woman then bound the arm up with some fresh white gauze, and they waited. Aaron's jaw snapped shut and his posture became rigid as the treatment began countering whatever caustic poison was in the wound. The boy's eyes were fixated on a spot on the wall, and if it weren't for the labored breathing and tears streaming down his face, it would have looked like he was in the deepest sort of trance.

Aaron's eyes were suddenly lidded, and he looked on the verge of collapse. The adults scrambled to pour more of the awakening tonic down his throat to counter his body's attempts at unconsciousness. The strange medicine immediately took effect and Aaron's eyes were wide and pained once again. The boy sat there and burned, unreachable in his own small inferno.

_Why the hell won't they just let him sleep?_ Jareth wondered.

Jareth could only watch and observe, knowing that the boy was beyond the reach of anyone at this point. The shape and structure of the wound indicated that the bite had come from a canine of some sort. A canine that was invisible to Jareth's senses.

_These eyes of mine are now blind to the realms I hail from._ Jareth mused. _It shouldn't bother me so, but it does._

There was only one canine creature Jareth could recall that was capable of an acidic, wasting bite. But the fact that the attackers scattered didn't match up with his memory of the beasts. Once those hounds caught a scent and began the hunt, only a word from their master or annihilation itself would stop them.

A passage from a book came to him unbidden then:_ 'They prey upon the poor and wretched souls, allowing their poison to work its dark magick before claiming-'_

A muffled scream pulled Jareth from his thoughts. Aaron had his fist pressed against his lips in an effort to contain the sound. The gauze had turned a blackish color over the wound, and the air smelled like burned fabric. Henry stood behind him and rubbed his shoulders, whispering that the whole thing was nearly over. Nora's mouth was set in a tight line and she fidgeted nervously, casting occasional glances at the boy and running her fingers through her tangled hair. Jareth noted that her hands were still covered in gashes, yet none of them appeared to be anything more than a superficial wound.

_Because she wasn't their target. They didn't come for her. They came for him._

Finally Aaron slumped back in the chair, breathing as if he'd sprinted a mile. His lips were puffy and swollen, and his skin was white as a sheet with the exception of two points of bright color on his cheeks. His brown hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat and salt, and his blue eyes were cloudy. With shaking hands, Henry removed the gauze to reveal a pink, healthy looking wound. It was still gruesomely deep, but the white bone wasn't showing anymore. To Jareth's surprise, Henry barked out a laugh. Aaron's murky gaze shifted to regard the old man, and Henry gripped the boy's good shoulder fondly.

"You did good, kid. Real good. You're gonna be up and kicking in no time at all." he said, smiling down at the boy. "You're strong."

"I don't feel very strong right now." Aaron mumbled, looking up at his grandfather dubiously.

Nora was preparing a needle and thread along with some antiseptic. Jareth wasn't looking forward to the next phase of the treatment, but the boy seemed to be unaware of the needle as it worked through his skin, stitching closed the evidence of his otherworldly encounter. The pull of thread through flesh and soft draws of breath were the only sounds in the room, and it felt like the quiet after a storm. Aaron's eyes were bright and haunted, but he was alive. Alive and glad to be living.

"You were out in the field because of your mom, weren't you?" Henry asked.

Aaron's lips pursed. "Sorta."

"Sarah?" Nora asked. Aaron nodded.

"I wondered why you didn't show at school today." she remarked. "Not like you to skip."

"You gonna give me detention, Ms. Locklear? Now that you know how much fun I've been having?" Aaron joked.

"You could call it an unscheduled field trip." she offered.

Aaron laughed indulgently at the shameless pun. "Yeah. That would work. Should I give a written report?"

"An oral one will suffice. Why were you out in the field alone, at night no less?" she asked.

"Yes, I've been wondering that myself." Henry added.

Aaron took a deep breath, and Jareth wondered what he'd tell them. Aaron surprised him by opting for the truth. "My dad really made me mad. I just took off and ran away, I guess. I ran and my feet took me there, and that place was as good as any. I didn't want to go and I didn't want to stay, so I just laid down... and wished I didn't exist." he admitted, cheeks making a feeble attempt to flame despite the blood loss. "It sounds so stupid now that I nearly lost my life, but that's what I thought I wanted at the time."

"Go on." said Nora, unfazed by the admission.

"Well. I acted like a baby for a while, until the sky began to get dark and stuff. The owl wouldn't leave me alone, and my head is still sore from where he was pecking me. But I didn't listen, and he eventually left me alone. Everything was calm and peaceful, but then suddenly everything went silent. I can't explain it right. It was like the whole world around me took a deep breath and just held it for a while. And then the wind started blowing, carrying scents with it. Dirt, grass, trees, moss. And then another smell was there: Strange, foreign and different." Aaron drew in a shuddering breath before continuing. His arm was finished, the tourniquet was off and Henry began fashioning a makeshift sling from a bit of fabric. "The grasses parted and a dog appeared, staring at me. It wasn't unfriendly. But then it bared its teeth and ran for me, biting my arm before I knew what hit me. The pain was intense."

Henry frowned. "What did the dog look like, Aaron?"

"It was white and gray. Looked like a normal dog to me, but its ears were really something else. They were beet red. Really fluffy looking too. I would have been dumb enough to pet the dog if it hadn't attacked me first."

The old man nodded. "But there was only one?"

"At first. As soon as it bit me, the rest showed up. I guess they were hiding somewhere until the first one howled. Then they all came. A couple of them were crouched and ready to spring when you showed up with my fine feathered friend here." he motioned weakly to the owl. "You know what happened from there. They would have killed you to get to me, Ms. Locklear. I know they would have."

"But they didn't." interjected Henry crisply. "That's the thing to focus on now."

Aaron nodded. "I've answered your questions, so now I want you guys to return the favor."

"You haven't asked anything." Henry pointed out.

"I'm too tired to ask specific questions. Everything. Tell me everything." said the boy.

"There's not so much to tell." murmured Nora. "You were there. You know what happened."

Aaron cast her a look. "How did you know that red light could stun them? How did you find me? What were they? Will they come back?" he looked at his grandfather. "Why do you have more medical supplies than the local pharmacy? How did you know exactly how to treat my wound-"

"Alright, kid. Enough!" Henry replied with a strained laugh, putting up a hand to stop the endless barrage of questions. "Everything it is. But if any of your questions are answered, there is no turning back. You will have crossed the Rubicon. You'll be inducted into the wider world full of strange and disturbing things. Life won't be the same for you."

"This strange world has already left its mark on me, hasn't it?" Aaron asked, looking down at his bad arm.

"Right now, you're still in the dark." replied Nora, voice low and soft. "There are ways to forget. You could forget all about tonight and live a normal life, without concerning yourself with this."

"And regardless of which choice you make, you're staying with me until your mother's well again." Henry added quickly. "Don't rush into something you'll more than likely regret just to distance yourself from your father. He's not an issue anymore."

While the adults spoke, Aaron studied the owl that had saved his life intently, eyes narrowed.

_It's too late._ Jareth mused, staring back at Sarah's son intently. _You know. You don't know what you know, but you know nonetheless. Could you be happy, pretending that there are no unanswered questions lurking in the back of your mind? If you're anything like Sarah, the answer is no._

Aaron broke eye contact with Jareth and sighed. "It's in me now already. Everything looks different, like I'm really seeing it for the first time-"

"That will fade-" Nora interrupted.

"I don't want it to." snapped Aaron.

Henry shook his head. "Then it won't, no matter what we do. Intention overrides everything else, after all. You're gonna need some sleep first, before making your final decision. And there is one more important thing to consider."

"What?"

"Once you know, you know. You'll be tethered by your own knowledge, and you'll never be able to travel far from this place for long. That means no college, no moving, and no life away from here. That's actually not as bad as I'm sure it sounds to you now, but it's something you really need to think about."

"I don't want to be in the dark anymore. Not now that everything is finally starting to make some sense." Aaron retorted.

"It's not too late for you, Aaron." Henry said. "I see a future for you away from this place and this knowledge. You could be happy."

"Do you still have that net, Ms. Locklear?" Aaron asked suddenly. The woman pulled something out of her pocket and laid it on the table in front of the boy. His fingers stroked the object almost reverently. "Even taking into account the horrible circumstances that brought this net into my possession, it's still the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." he admitted.

"You can't be serious." Nora scoffed. "I could literally feel it burning a hole in my pocket with its bad energy and vibe, but I kept it out of sight for your benefit. It's repelling and repulsive-"

"Not to me. I like it."

Henry and Nora exchanged a loaded glance.

"What do you think, Grandpa? Isn't it cool?" asked Aaron, clearly hoping to be understood by at least one person in the room.

"I can't see it, kid. To me, there's nothing there."

* * *

Song in Title: Perfect Life by Red


	16. Chapter 16: Half Asleep

**A/N: **Thank you so much to all my readers and reviewers. Hope you had a wonderful Easter; chocolate bunnies to you!

* * *

Rhiannon met her at the base of the stairs.

"Have our guests arrived? Is everything in order?" Sarah asked, breathless.

"They will be here shortly. The kitchen is hell, but I think I've got it under control. Someone thoroughly burned a loaf of bread, rendering one oven completely useless, but the goblins are doing amazingly well with the remaining two. I get the feeling that they really want to make this work. Whoever mucked up that oven will have some explaining to do once the royals hit the road-"

"That was my doing, General." interrupted Sarah.

"I beg your pardon?"

A squat little goblin guard came running up to them then, eyes wide as if he were running from the Devil himself. "Queen Maeve is here, O Queen! King Oberon and Queen Titania is sure to follow. I tells Queeny Maeve to sits in the sittin' room, but she won't sit. She's stalkin' 'bout instead. Does we has a stalkin' room I could redirect hers to, Majesty?"

"Oh, bloody hell. A sitting room is just a room! You don't have to sit in it if you don't want to." replied Rhiannon.

"Good. I don't wants to sit in a room with that Queeny. Creepy thing, she is!" cried the goblin, profound relief showing in his eyes.

Rhiannon looked ready to explode, so Sarah sent the goblin away with a few gentle words.

"They are amazingly stupid. I don't understand how they've survived so long with such a low level of intelligence-" Rhiannon fumed.

"We can talk about that later. For now, let's get this over with." interrupted Sarah.

"Right. I'll be close by, if you need me. Also, wear this." Rhiannon slipped a silver locket around Sarah's neck. "Our thoughts will be linked while you're wearing it. If you get stuck during conversation, fall back on me and I'll help."

Sarah reached up and fingered the delicate chain. "What was up with the lecturing yesterday then, if this was an option?"

"You're different this time, Sarah. You have acclimated to the Underground far faster than usual. I didn't think it was an option, but it looks like I was wrong. Give it a try."

_How old is Oberon?_ Sarah asked.

_Old enough._ Rhiannon replied.

_Are you comfortable with this, Rhiannon? It's an invasion of privacy._

_Sarah, I have no secrets from you. It's fine. Just try to keep your thoughts under control when you see the King. Rumor has it that he's quite the looker._

_I'll try to keep any impure thoughts at bay, but only for your sake. _Sarah teased.

Another goblin guard announced the arrival of the royal Seelie couple, and Sarah made her way to the throne room. There she found Bubble polishing the chair frantically.

"Aw, Bubble. You're so thoughtful." Sarah commented. "It looks perfect."

"Shiny enough, Lady?"

"Yes. I can see my face in the wood."

"You clean up good, Lady!" remarked Bubble as she took a closer look at Sarah in her finery. Sarah blushed.

"Could you escort our guests to the throne room, please?" asked Sarah.

"Bubble is a _maid,_ Lady." the goblin replied.

"No. Bubble is just dressed like one right now." the Queen retorted, conjuring a mirror and bringing it in front of the goblin girl. "Mirror, mirror in my hand, dress this goblin for the task at hand."

With a flash and a flicker, Bubble was dressed in a royal vassal's attire.

"This is too much, Lady. Too much!"

"Hush, and let me have my way." replied Sarah. She dispelled the mirror and moved to the throne. "Well? Will you keep the most powerful beings in this world waiting?"

"Of course not, Lady!" And without another word, Bubble ran from the room.

Without an audience, Sarah felt some of her determination waver. Sitting on the Goblin King's throne seemed like the highest insult yet, but she knew she had to look and act the part. Muttering a silent apology to the forgotten ruler, Sarah sat down on the throne. It was more comfortable than she expected, and she battled the urge to lean back and lounge. To counter the impulse, she sat stiffly, back ramrod straight.

Bubble emerged with the royals then, and Sarah was proud that she didn't gasp at their appearance. The trio of fey nobility looked oddly matched when standing together, but the common thread of otherworldly beauty marked them all as the same.

The king was indeed a glorious creature to behold. His silky hair was blue black and flowing, framing an aristocratic face. His jaw was the strong and determined type, and his blue eyes were absolutely captivating, even from a distance. An aquiline nose completed the face that looked like it belonged on a bust in a museum somewhere. Sarah didn't let her eyes stray from his face, for fear of being caught staring.

The woman on his arm was a dazzling spectacle of excess and beauty. Her warm, rich brown hair was long and flowing, curling at the ends with perfect grace, and her tresses were accented with strands of what appeared to be pure gold. Her green eyes were gilded with hints of creamy pearl and petal pink, giving her a doll-like, innocent appearance, and crystals dotted the tips of her eyelashes, completing the doe-eyed effect. Her mouth was a perfect rosebud, and her cheeks bore a sunkissed color. Titania was magnificence personified, and judging from her superior expression, she knew it.

The final figure was a shadow compared to the other two illuminated beings. She was wearing a simple battle dress of black with a sword at her hip. A cloak of dark feathers rested on her shoulders, and the hood kept her eyes and forehead from view. Cold, cruel lips were pale against her equally pale skin, and her mouth curled into a sharp smile when Sarah turned her gaze towards her. Thanks to the Unseelie child, Sarah wasn't shocked by the rows of Piranha-like teeth, and she managed a smile in return.

"Welcome to the Goblin Kingdom." she greeted in what she hoped was a regal tone.

"Quite the place you have here, Goblin Queen." commented Titania with a derisive sniff.

"We thank you for the audience, O Queen." said Oberon, tightening the grip on his wife's arm visibly. She glared at him but said nothing more.

Sarah supposed that asking what all this was about right off the bat would be considered rude.

_Ceremony dictates that they must be given the grand tour of the kingdom, fed, entertained and given lodging. They will bring up the purpose of the audience at their discretion, and not before. _offered Rhiannon.

_Okay, here we go._ thought Sarah. "Well, my guests. Let's eat and then be on our way. There's much to see."

Titania laughed into her hand and Oberon's brow furrowed. "Of course we've seen to our needs, as is standard-"

"I have not." interrupted Maeve. "Some hospitality before we leave would be appreciated, Goblin Queen."

_Traditionally it's the tour first, then the offered meal, then entertainment and then lodgings. In that order, Sarah. _Rhiannon clarified.

Titania sneered at Maeve. "Feeling a bit bird-brained this morning, Your Excellency? You _forgot_ to eat?"

Oberon gave Titania's arm a small jerk. "We would also take tea at the table if that's acceptable, Honorable Host. No sense in dining alone."

Bubble was already running off to make arrangements, and Sarah knew Rhiannon was doing the same. Sarah led the royal trio to the dining hall then, feeling proud that she found it by herself. The small victory was short-lived. Seating at the table proved to be a nightmare because Sarah didn't want to accidentally show favor to either court by giving someone a preferential seat.

_What do I do? _Sarah asked.

_Have them seat themselves._

"I trust you can seat yourselves." said Sarah in a bored and slightly condescending tone. She wasn't sure if the sarcasm was hers or Rhiannon's, but it was effective. The royals automatically took their seats and Sarah was saved from showing her ignorance. For now.

A fine breakfast of eggs, bacon, potatoes and fruit was brought out for Sarah and Maeve, while tea was served to Oberon and Titania. Oberon sipped his brew without comment, but Titania had a hard time swallowing hers.

Maeve ate in earnest, so Sarah followed suit. She hadn't eaten anything before the royals arrived, so she was grateful for the opportunity to silence her rumbling stomach.

"Goodness, you two certainly know how to eat." commented Titania. "One wonders where it all goes."

Sarah felt her face grow hot with the remark. Maeve smiled her Unseelie grin. "That's the benefit of being a warrior queen, I suppose. I don't just sit around all day, so I can eat what I want, when I want."

Titania's eyes went cold at Maeve's words. "You must have quite the appetite, Your Ladyship, to eat so much of such meager fare."

"Breakfast was adequate. Exactly the kind of thing I eat at home, actually. Thank you, Host." Maeve dipped her head in Sarah's direction, and Sarah bobbed her head in return.

The tour of the kingdom commenced immediately after. The royals showed a polite interest in the castle and grounds, though Sarah could tell that they were bored. Titania especially had a hard time concealing her frequent yawns and finally pulled out a fan to hide her mouth from view.

When the group reached the area of town where larger houses began interspersing with smaller ones, Oberon stopped.

"How many fey are in your kingdom now, Goblin Queen?" he asked.

_Hundreds. I would dodge that question, if I were you._

"I don't really keep track, Your Lordship." replied Sarah evenly.

"Well, surely you can give an estimate. You have_ some_ idea, don't you?" Titania asked. "And what percentage of your fey subjects are Seelie?"

"I don't ask them about their previous affiliations. This kingdom is neutral and without favoritism." Sarah replied automatically. "But if you're really curious, I suppose you could go door to door and see if you recognize anyone."

_Too much? _Sarah wondered.

_Hardly, Milady. You're their champion. You must rally for them in the presence of their enemies, and the royals definitely fall into the 'enemy' category._

Oberon glared at Sarah for a moment before regaining his composure. Titania's face was as red as a cherry, but she said nothing. Maeve was motionless and appeared to be observing the exchange with nothing more than mild interest.

"I want to see the mead brewery, Your Ladyship." Maeve said suddenly. "Nothing in the world compares to goblin made mead."

"Of course! Right this way." replied Sarah.

They visited the mead brewery, the forge, the quarry, the Goblin Market and the silkworm farm before heading back to the castle for an early dinner.

"Wait. Aren't you going to show us the Labyrinth?" asked Titania, hands on hips when she realized the tour was over.

Sarah couldn't help frowning at the fey. "No, actually. I'm not."

Titania was unmoving."I demand to see it."

"The Labyrinth is off-limits. I have been generous, and I've been accommodating, but every kingdom is entitled to its secrets. I'm sure you understand." Sarah looked at Oberon and Maeve. "If I came to your kingdoms, would you show me all there is to see? Would I have the right to demand a tour of everything?"

"No, you wouldn't. I think my dear Titania might still be feeling giddy from the fumes in the mead brewery. I apologize." muttered Oberon, frowning at his irate wife.

"There is nothing to apologize for, O King. I am grateful for your understanding. Are you okay with skipping a tour of the Labyrinth as well, Queen Maeve?"

"Perfectly." she replied, smiling wide at the irritation on Titania's face. Now outnumbered and overruled, Titania settled for glowering at everyone around her, husband included.

Dinner was a more luxurious affair than breakfast, but Titania still didn't seem pleased. Oberon and Maeve both ate heartily of the strange foods on the table, and Sarah discovered a few new favorite foods during the meal: A pale yellow cream that tasted like roses and melted the instant it hit her tongue, some sort of exotic roasted fish that was rich and tender, and pancakes stuffed with hot, sweet syrup.

Suddenly, the Labyrinth called out to Sarah, and she sprang up from her seat at the head of the table, momentarily oblivious to the guests around her. Someone was wandering around in the Labyrinth. Without a thought, Sarah nudged the intruder in the direction of an oubliette.

_Rhiannon, can you take care of that?_

_Of course._

As Rhiannon's consciousness pulled away from Sarah's, a sense of emptiness filled the now open space. It had been a while since Sarah had heard Rhiannon 'speak,' and it dawned on her that their thoughts must have reached a high level of synchronicity over the course of the evening. For a short time, Queen and General were of one mind. If this weren't merely a dream, it would have struck Sarah as amazing.

"Your Majesty, is everything alright?" asked Oberon. Sarah hadn't realized that he had moved so close and looked up with a start when his voice was near. Scant inches separated her face from his, and her heart began to hammer nervously.

"Everything is fine. Something caught my attention for a moment, that's all."

Maeve was also on her feet, hand hovering over the hilt of her sword. Only Titania remained seated, opting to sneer at Sarah from the comfort of her own chair.

"I suppose it was too much to hope that you'd leave your pet monkey at home." Rhiannon said from the doorway. She led a figure bound by the wrists with a sack over its head. It tried to speak, but its voice was muffled, clearly gagged.

"If that is who I think it is, let the laws of your land take hold. I won't speak for him." said Oberon, suddenly looking worn and tired.

"Darling, please. We can't put the burden of punishing one of our subjects on this kingdom. That would be rude." interjected Titania.

"We honestly don't mind, Your Ladyship. It would be an honor." said Rhiannon, giving Titania a cold smile.

"Who is this?" asked Maeve to Sarah, motioning towards the woman.

"That is my general, Rhiannon." she replied.

"And this-" announced Rhiannon as she pulled the sack off of her prisoner's head. "is none other than Puck. I caught him snooping around the Labyrinth."

Oberon sat back down then, pointedly resuming his dinner as if nothing had happened. Puck whined in response.

"Have him untied this instant, O Queen. He is my subject, and I won't stand for him being treated-"

"Like a spy? Because that's what he is." interrupted Rhiannon hotly. "I'll bet he was spying for you, Your Worship. The King over there couldn't give a fig less about the trickster, but you are quite concerned-"

"Hold your tongue, General. Remember who you're speaking to." ordered Sarah. "Ungag him and let him speak for himself."

"He has a silver tongue, Goblin Queen." warned Maeve. "Don't believe a word he says."

Rhiannon obeyed her queen and ungagged Puck, who immediately gave Sarah a brilliant smile and a leering once over. "Well! Hello there, gorgeous. Did you hit your head when you fell out of Heaven?"

Oberon sighed loudly and pinched the bridge of his nose. Sarah shook her head. "Nice try. What the hell were you doing in my Labyrinth?"

"I was merely going for a stroll, Your Majesty. And what a stroll it was! I had a thought-provoking conversation with a worm, and then some unusual creatures tried to run off with my head. I narrowly escaped decapitation only to fall into a horrible, horrible place." Puck shuddered dramatically and took a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing. "It was a deep, dark, dreadful Pit of Perversion! Hands everywhere! Left and right, up and down. Offering to do things-"

"Serves you right for intruding, fool." hissed Rhiannon, still gripping him by the wrists.

"Just when I was losing hope, this fair angel came to my rescue. You have saved my sanity, my pride and... dare I say it, my chastity. I am your slave, madame." vowed the trickster, turning his body ever so slightly to gaze into the shocked face of his 'rescuer.'

"Puck!" Oberon growled. "I'm warning you: Behave, or else."

This was a futile request. If there was one thing Robin Goodfellow couldn't accomplish, it was good behavior. Puck's declaration was met with such unbridled disgust and derision from the object of his supposed affections that it became less of a joke and more of a challenge for him as all of his his efforts to flirt were rebuffed. Rhiannon acted like a soldier and dressed like one too, but she wasn't unattractive. Apparently this fact hadn't escaped Puck's notice.

The dungeon was briefly considered by Queen and General both, but Puck was far too slippery to keep around the Goblin Kingdom for long, especially if he was indeed a spy. The only option was to let the Seelie off with nothing more than a warning. With that in mind, Sarah ordered Puck's release and had a place set for him at the table as a token of 'goodwill' towards the Seelie Court. The trickster didn't skip a beat at his sudden pardon, but Oberon looked sour as he drank down his wine.

Rhiannon took it upon herself to stand guard at the entrance of the dining hall, determined to keep Puck from wandering around the castle unsupervised.

"That place is really something." commented Puck around a mouthful of food. "I pride myself on being able to sneak around, but that Labyrinth eventually caught me red handed."

"Why don't you tell us more about that mysterious place." asked Titania. "The Queen here wasn't sure we could handle a trip through the maze."

"There's not much to tell, Tani. It's a bunch of bricks, a few trees, a Pit of Perversion, and that's about it. Unless-" his eyes took on a gleeful light. "-you're really asking about the location of the pit I found myself in. Fancying an evening stroll when everyone else is sleeping, My Queen? Don't look at me like that, Your Ladyship. It's perfectly natural to have needs-"

"Puck." hissed Oberon in a warning tone.

"Shutting up, My Liege."

Titania tossed her hair and glared at Puck. "So that's really all you have to say about the Labyrinth?"

"Indeed."

"Your memory for details is astoundingly poor." Titania grumbled.

"Milady, you wound me! I remember the details that matter. Why, I recall the exact outfit you were wearing on your first date with-"

Titania cast Puck such a quelling look that he trailed off, suddenly finding his plate very interesting.

When things finally settled down and the plates were taken from the table, Titania stood, looking tall and proud despite the ridiculous turn of the evening.

"We thank you for your hospitality, fellow queen. You have likely wondered about the nature of our visit. A long overdue visit, I should add."

"Get on with it, Titania." muttered Maeve. "Enough with your theatrics. I'd like to know why I've been summoned here, too. It's highly irregular."

"Very well. As you know, Samhain is on the horizon. To this day, the event has only been observed by the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, but times have changed. Many of our kind now reside in the Goblin Kingdom, so it's only right to include them in the observation of this ceremony. It is the foundation of peace in our world, after all."

This was the last thing Sarah wanted or expected. Participating in some strange ceremony put a serious wrench in her plans to find the Goblin King and go home.

_You can't say no. Declining the invitation would be inviting them to declare war. _said Rhiannon.

Sarah inclined her head towards Titania, giving in to defeat. "We would be honored, Your Majesty."

"Excellent, but I'm not finished. It's the Seelie Court's turn to host the revel, but as a token of goodwill, I'm giving this season's celebration over to you."

"This flies in the face of tradition." argued Maeve, frowning. "It's not very sporting of you, either. They've never even seen a Samhain before. Are you setting up the Goblin Court for failure?"

"Oh please. All our subjects want is free ale, a few bonfires and permission to do whatever they want. Is that so hard? I think not. This isn't an up and coming kingdom anymore; this kingdom has arrived. I say it's high time to recognize them as equals, just the same as Seelie and Unseelie."

Maeve turned her attention to the Seelie King. "What say you, Oberon? Are you content to let your woman speak for you?"

Oberon's lips thinned. "It's her party this season, Maeve. She may ruin it if she pleases."

Sarah definitely didn't want to host some stupid party, but she wasn't sure how to get out of it without lasting political ramifications.

_You can't decline. Those words had a double meaning. Peace if you comply, and no peace if you don't._

"How long until Samhain?" Sarah asked, locking her anger and irritation in a little box to be opened later.

Titania giggled. "My dear, it's in three weeks. Unthinkable that a fey wouldn't be aware of the passing of seasons, but presiding over such a rural kingdom has its drawbacks, I suppose."

"Would it be too much to ask for a little guidance?" asked Sarah, feeling like a noose was tightening around her neck. "Surely your subjects are accustomed to a certain level of decorum."

"Trust me, Lady. All they want is beer and bonfires. You can't mess it up." offered Puck.

"We can't stay and hold your hand." added Titania with a smirk. "Kingdoms don't run themselves. I'm sure you understand. The long lasting peace between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts is fragile at best, and our subjects don't always mind their manners. A war could easily be started in our absence."

"Speak for yourself, Seelie." hissed Maeve. "My subjects obey my wishes. Always. If we go home to war, your people will be to blame."

The fey queens glowered at each other while Oberon studiously ignored them. To Sarah, it was clear that Titania wore the pants in their household. With her plans set in motion and Maeve fuming at her, Titania was more than ready to retire for the night. Sarah ordered her vassal to show the royals to their quarters, only too happy to have the evening done with. Bubble obeyed immediately, and the fey monarchs didn't comment on Sarah's choice of personal minion. Titania's nose merely curled up in disgust as if she were smelling a foul odor as she followed the little goblin down the halls and up the stairs of the massive castle.

Sarah conjured a mirror and watched as Bubble showed Puck his room. As soon as the door was shut, Puck was up in the window, testing the glass to see how difficult it would be to escape his lodgings. With a wicked grin, Sarah removed the windows and doors from his chamber. Puck rolled back and crossed his arms with a huff.

_I've had enough surprises tonight. I won't have you adding insult to injury._

* * *

Song in Title: Half Asleep by School of Seven Bells


	17. Chapter 17: What the Water Gave Me

**A/N:** Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to review! Your readership and thoughtful commentary are the only reason a chapter ended up getting posted this week! I didn't want to disappoint you guys by delaying the writing of the next chapter, even if I'm unnaturally busy right now. Plumbing problems are the worst! I washed dishes in my _bathtub_ last night. No matter how much I scrubbed, they never felt clean enough... o.o

* * *

Aaron wished that his grandfather could see the net, but Henry was absolutely blind to it. That left the discussion between Aaron and Ms. Locklear, and she seemed dead set on being irrational and emotional about something as harmless as a net.

"The beast _spit_ that thing on the owl." said Ms. Locklear, eyeing Aaron's hold on the object. "It's not a net... it's more like a web of some sort. You're basically touching the vomit of one of those dogs."

"Spiderwebs are pretty gross if you think too hard about where they come from, but there's nothing wrong with finding a spiderweb interesting." Aaron argued, feeling tired. His suspicions were being confirmed: Having a rational discussion about this was going to be impossible.

_If you're so closed minded, why can you see this stuff in the first place? _Aaron wondered.

Ms. Locklear shook her head. "Spiderwebs are natural. That isn't!"

"I think it's just unusual." replied Aaron evenly. "There are a million different possible uses for spider silk, so think of the possibilities for this stuff! Bulletproof clothing, for starters. If this web is truly invisible to most people, this could be the future of body armor. And that's only the most obvious application. If we had this analyzed by scientists, think what they could discover!"

Ms. Locklear looked deeply disturbed by Aaron's train of thought. "Aaron-"

"I think it's time for bed, don't you?" interrupted Henry, yawning deeply himself. Ms. Locklear glared at him for a moment before slumping back in her chair.

"I feel like I could stay up for days and days and days." replied Aaron honestly, eyes still unnaturally wide. "But I could try laying down. Maybe I'd fall asleep." _Or more likely, I'll lay there for hours while you two get some sleep. And why not? It wouldn't be fair to keep everyone awake just because I can't sleep._

"Not likely." Ms. Locklear snorted to herself under her breath.

Aaron watched as Henry walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a drawstring pouch made out of rough looking fabric. Whatever it was, it captured the owl's full attention. The bird glared at it suspiciously, ruffling up slightly as if the contents were offensive. Henry opened the pouch and pulled out and irregularly shaped stone, showing it to Ms. Locklear. "I paid a pretty penny for this thing. Was I duped?"

Ms. Locklear's face turned green as she stared at the rock. "If it's real, that will do the trick."

"What is it?" asked Aaron, feeling curious despite his fatigue.

"It's a neutralizer." Ms. Locklear replied smoothly, clearly blocking his grandfather from giving a real answer.

Henry frowned but nodded."Yup. Just add it to water and drink. It's supposed to cancel out almost anything."

Henry dropped the stone into a plastic tumbler and filled it with water from the kitchen sink. The water hissed for a moment but then calmed.

"Come on, Aaron. I think you should drink this in bed, just in case it works and you pass out on us. I'm too old for carrying you, and I doubt Ms. Locklear could lift you."

Aaron obediently followed his grandfather up the stairs to a bedroom, taking the invisible object with him. Ms. Locklear's mouth drew together so tightly in response to the boy's actions that the edges of her lips turned white, but she didn't say anything. The owl followed along behind, but Aaron was no longer surprised by the strange actions of the bird. If anything, it would have felt odd if the owl hadn't followed.

Aaron decided that he would be glad when his grandfather was done treating him with strange potions, salves and rocks he happened to keep around the house. It would be a shame if he accidentally killed him with a well meaning 'cure.' Henry let Aaron wear one of his old shirts to bed, since the boy's own shirt was beyond the point of ruin. Aaron didn't need a mirror to know that the huge black shirt made him look terrible. He could see pity in their eyes and he disliked it.

"Drink up." Henry ordered with forced cheer, handing the glass to Aaron. He downed the liquid in one go and then laid back on the pillows, eyelids sliding shut almost immediately.

The instant his eyes closed, Aaron was back out in the fields. Sunrise was just beginning, and the land was dripping with violets, pinks and golds. Aaron looked down at himself and saw that he was wearing his least favorite outfit from his meager wardrobe rather than the shirt he fell asleep in.

_In dreams, you never can tell what you'll end up wearing, or where you'll be wearing it._ Aaron thought to himself. _At least I'm not naked._

The field was so peaceful and so beautiful that it seemed impossible that he nearly died out here. Aaron was determined to never set foot in the field again after what those dogs had done to him, but this was a dream. Dreams were harmless, so a little exploring couldn't hurt.

Aaron meandered through the tall grasses. Some patches were taller than his head, while others were shorter and allowed him to see ahead. He wandered long and far, but the steady scenery didn't change.

_I bet I could run for miles and only see more of these tall grasses. I never went deep enough into the field to see anything else, so this is all my mind will ever show me. _Aaron reasoned.

To test his theory, Aaron broke into a full out run. The grasses whipped by and brushed the boy's skin but didn't sting as he shot passed, and his legs and lungs felt no pain at all. One of the benefits of dreaming.

Aaron could only hear his own footfalls and the dry, papery sound of the grasses as he sped through them. It felt like he had been running miles and miles, and still the fields remained unchanged. He suddenly pulled to a stop, feeling that his theory had been tested soundly enough. The sounds of running stopped a heartbeat too late, and Aaron wheeled around to face whoever or whatever had been following him.

A single, solitary hound regarded him mildly a few feet away, its expression curious and warm. Aaron instinctively backed away from the animal, but it didn't try to follow.

"Go away!" Aaron shouted. His voice seemed loud compared to the soundlessness all around them, and the dog disappeared into the grass.

The enchantment of the dream wore off for Aaron the moment he realized that he wasn't alone. He didn't dare run again for fear of drawing out the hounds, so instead he just sat and waited for the dream to end. He waited and waited.

And waited.

Nothing changed. There was nothing but the field, the sky, the grass and him. He could have been sitting there for seconds, days, a year. There was no sensation of the passage of time in this place, and Aaron was beginning to wonder if he'd ever wake up.

A fearful thought presented itself to him then. _What if this is what it's like for Mom? I never thought to ask her if she dreamed during her sleep._

Aaron again waited to awaken, but nothing happened. Finally unable to contain his restless energy any longer, he broke into a sprint and ran blindly. The sounds of another runner in the grass didn't stop him or slow him down this time. He just ran because it was better than sitting and thinking.

One footfall landed with a hollow tap rather than a dull thud, and this stopped Aaron short. He stood over the spot and stamped his foot down, marveling at the spongy feel of something yielding under his body weight. Aaron jumped down with both feet and with a creak and a snap, the ground came out from under him. He fell into an underground pit, the only source of light being the hole he accidentally created.

The fall didn't hurt, and Aaron spied a ladder leading up to a trapdoor in the dim light. There were metal crates and boxes all around him, and curiosity burned within the boy as he took them all in. The instinct for self-preservation remained strong even in a dream, and it forced Aaron to secure a means of escape before exploring the contents of the secret cache he had found. Up the ladder he went, but when he tried to open the trap door, it was stuck tight.

The old wooden ladder was mounted to the wall and rotten in a few places. It swayed and creaked in protest as Aaron stood upon its rungs, trying with growing desperation to shove the trapdoor open. It dawned on Aaron that the door was likely covered with layers of hard packed earth. The light in the pit was suddenly blocked by a figure, and Aaron turned to see the hound peering into the space. The idea of being stuck in an unending dream in a dark pit with a monster gave Aaron renewed energy and he slammed his body up against the unyielding trapdoor. It didn't budge.

The dog moved away from the opening, and Aaron soon heard muffled panting and digging. When he heard the dull scraping sound of claws against the trapdoor, he realized that the dog was clearing away the heavy earth from the other side. When a shadow blocked the sunlight again Aaron took the cue and gave the door one last mighty push. It yielded, but so did the ladder.

Aaron laid where he fell and stared up at the open door, now impossibly out of reach. This fall didn't hurt either, but he realized that the only way out of the pit now was to wake up. It was frustrating.

The dog's face appeared in the opening and it stared down at him, thoughtful. Then it barked out a slender thread. Aaron watched in fascination as it lowered, and Aaron gripped it without fear. The dog pulled him up quickly and they stood staring at each other, field surrounding them once again.

"Um, thanks." Aaron mumbled, still feeling wary of the dog. The hound brightened at the praise and began wagging its tail.

The hound ran a few paces ahead and then ran back to Aaron, wagging its tail wildly and clearly wanting to be followed. Aaron nodded and they ran together. Now running with the dog, Aaron noticed subtle changes in the scenery. It took him a few moments to realize that the everlasting sunrise had ended, and the brilliant day had been allowed to dawn.

Abruptly, the tall grasses fell away and new fields appeared in Aaron's line of vision. Most were level, some were gently rolling, but all stretched out as far as the eye could see. If this weren't a dream, Aaron would have wondered how the geography worked out on a map. Everyone knew that the fields took up the eastern half of the town, but could they really be that big?

_You're taking this dream way too seriously._ Aaron told himself.

The scent of water pulled Aaron out of his thoughts and he noticed a large pond to his right. Aaron slowed to a trot and meandered over to the body of water. After seeing so much earth and grass, the pool of liquid was a strange curiosity. The hound followed along behind him and sat down a few paces away from the water's edge. The dog had the right idea, because there was nothing special about the pond. It was deep, pure and clear, but that was it. Even so, there was something off about it, as if it didn't belong in its present surroundings.

The sound of trickling water caught Aaron's attention and he noticed that the pond was being fed by a tiny waterfall that flowed down peacefully from a stone trough partially hidden by some reeds. The dog wandered over as Aaron looked and began lapping at the water heartily. Hearing the animal drink made the boy realize just how thirsty he was, and he swore he could still taste the sour flavor of the weird water his grandfather had given him before he fell asleep.

The dog's tongue created circular ripples in the water's surface, and a few thin strings of drool were dripping from the dog's jowls into the pristine pond. Aaron decided that he would rather drink directly from the source, so he knelt beside the stone water box and cupped his hands together to collect some of the cool, clean water. As the liquid flowed into his waiting hands, something shiny drifted over the edge of the stone and into Aaron's hands. It was a woman's ring.

Aaron let the water slip through his fingers and the object settled on his palm. Even to his eyes it was a finely crafted ring, with one single sea foam green gem in the center. As he closed his fist around it, a sudden thought occurred to him:_ It's warm!_

With trepidation, Aaron slowly peered over the edge of the water trough and saw that the box contained the body of a girl, her thick, black strands of hair haloing out from her head like a crown of writhing snakes. The girl's body was held completely under the water, anchored at the neck by the chains of a necklace much too large for her small frame.

Fear forgotten, Aaron reached into the water and touched her cheek. It was warm, and a faint stream of bubbles trailed out of her mouth in response to his touch.

_She couldn't have been under long._ he reasoned. Without another thought, Aaron slung his leg over the side of the would-be coffin and stood over the girl, trying desperately to loosen the chains around her neck. One slender chain was caught between her lips, and Aaron gave it a rough tug. This made the girl's eyes fly open and she stared listlessly forward, her chest rising as she drew in a watery gasp through clenched teeth. Her eyes then fluttered closed again, and Aaron realized that if she wasn't drowning before, she certainly was now.

It didn't matter that this was only a dream: Aaron wouldn't just stand by and watch someone die. He drew in large breath and thrust himself underwater, pressing his lips against the girl's mouth, plugging her nose and blowing air none too gently into her waterlogged lungs. Her lips parted and her eyes opened again, this time focusing on Aaron. As she stared at him almost accusingly, he had the dawning realization of just how personal this rescue had become. Even with the cold water all around them, she was warm and her lips were petal soft.

Her jaws had unlocked and something metal touched Aaron's tongue. As he pulled back from the girl, he saw that the chain that had been trapped between her teeth now hung freely between them, the pendant sinking down to rest at the hollow of her neck. He grasped it and pulled hard, breaking the chain. The girl's body was suddenly buoyant and free, and Aaron realized that all the other chains had been a distraction from the real one.

He stood on shaky legs and hauled the small body of the girl out from the water coffin before he collapsed on dry land himself, coughing and spitting out water that had made its way into his sinuses and lungs during the thoughtless rescue. When he recovered, the girl was staring down at him, eyes eerily distant and cold. He faced her squarely and gazed right back, unflinching and unrepentant.

"I believe this is yours." he said, reaching out and plucking the fine silver ring from the grass. She blinked and took it from Aaron automatically.

"What do you want from me?" she finally asked warily.

Aaron frowned. "I don't want anything, except the answers to a few questions."

"What answers do you seek?"

"How did you get stuck in that box? It almost looked like someone did that to you on purpose."

Her chilly exterior finally melted somewhat and she stared at Aaron in astonishment. "What sort of game are you playing at?"

"Me? I'm not playing at anything! I saw you drowning and decided to help you." Aaron spat, the absurdity of her reaction dampening his adrenaline and reminding him that he was conversing with a figment of his own imagination.

She cocked her head to one side and stretched her hand out to brush her fingers against Aaron's cheek. They were about the same height and she seemed to be around his age, though possibly a little older. Aaron couldn't help flushing hotly at the closeness of the dream girl. "It's interesting." she murmured with a wistful tone. "You have the ocean in your eyes."

Aaron pulled back when he heard her strange words, face now even hotter than before. The girl nodded as if he had said something that needed a reply. "I believe you, wandering soul. You are fading away, but I will be here. Come find me and I'll tell you anything you want."

"I'm fading?" Aaron looked down at himself and saw that he was indeed becoming a see through shadow of himself. "Here! Take this before I wake up." He held out the chain and pendant just as everything grew dark and dim.

With a start, Aaron awakened in a strange bed in an unfamiliar house. It didn't seem fair to be pulled from the dream just as things were finally getting interesting, but he felt relieved to be conscious once more. He rubbed a shaking hand over his clammy face and gasped when the wound on his arm protested the sudden movement. He would miss the invincibility dreaming afforded him

With a rushing rustle of feathers and air, the owl was peering down at Aaron from its new perch on the headboard. An expression that looked like concern was on its face.

Aaron knew that it was common practice for people to humanize animals, interpreting their actions and expressions through the lens of human experience or even straight up wishful thinking. Aaron didn't believe he was above such thinking himself, but there was something more to this owl. At times it seemed to the boy that he was a human trapped in an animal's body.

"Hi there." Aaron said to the owl, smiling up at him tiredly. "I feel like I've slept for days."

He looked around the room and noticed the closed door.

"How long have you been stuck in here, anyway?" Aaron asked, forcing himself up out of bed. The room swam for a moment and the bird made a disapproving sound.

"I'm fine. You worry too much." Aaron chided, casting the owl a look. The bird looked down its beak at Aaron haughtily, as if he were thinking about the attack in the field.

"Point taken." Aaron replied. "But really, what's going to happen to me here? Besides, I'm dying for some fresh air."

With feet now steady, Aaron opened the door and slowly made his way down the stairs.

"Aaron! What are you doing up?" Henry asked, paling when he saw him round the corner.

"I feel fine, Grandpa. How long was I out? Felt like I slept a week."

"You were only out for a few hours. You should probably get back in bed."

"My stomach really hurts. I think I need something to eat. But first, I need to take the owl out."

"I can do it-"

"I owe him one, and I want to get some air anyway. I won't leave the deck, promise."

Henry didn't protest further, and Aaron went outside with the owl. The skies were bright and clear, with golden sunshine bathing everything in a glowing light. The bird flew around a bit as if to humor the boy and then landed near the door, clearing demanding that they both go back inside.

When the door opened, Aaron was hit with the smell of frying bacon and pancakes. His grandfather had wasted no time in preparing breakfast, and Aaron put away two plates of food in no time flat. He had never felt such raw hunger in all his life, and it was all he could do to slip the owl a few strips of bacon when his grandpa wasn't looking, so intense his hunger was.

"Did that medicine have any side effects?" Aaron asked.

"Why?" asked Henry in reply, looking worried. "What are you feeling?"

"I feel like I could eat an entire cow and still feel hungry." Aaron admitted around a mouthful of fluffy pancake.

"Maybe that comes with the territory. You'll have to ask Nora." Henry replied, saying the woman's name with a hiss.

When Henry came over and refilled Aaron's plate, he saw irritation on the old man's face. He knew the look well, because he saw that expression on his father's face often enough. For all he knew, his jaw set that way too when he was angry.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Well." Henry poured two cups of coffee and brought them over. Aaron didn't usually drink the stuff himself, but he took the cup, grateful for anything to put in his bottomless belly. "Me and Nora had a bit of a falling out last night. She's a good woman, but we're not seeing eye to eye on things right now."

"Eye to eye on what?"

"You, Aaron. We're fighting over what to do with you. She says that I can't tell you anything, despite the fact that I basically swore to you that I would."

"Who is she to tell you what you can and cannot do?" Aaron asked, anger rising at the thought of being denied the answers he now so desperately wanted.

"Nora herself is a nobody, but she knows people in high places. If we don't play our cards right, she could make life really unpleasant." Henry admitted, looking sour.

"So that's it, then?" Aaron groaned in disbelief. "We're going to cave in to the will of a schoolteacher?"

"A schoolteacher who nearly died to save your life." Henry corrected. "Yes and no. Yes, I did agree to not answer your questions. I swore on my life that I wouldn't in exchange for her keeping her own mouth shut. But... there's nothing saying that I can't show you. You're a smart guy, Aaron. I trust that you'll come to the right conclusions."

Aaron's appetite was finally slowing, and he sipped his coffee thoughtfully. "In a way, that's for the best. Words don't do some things justice."

Henry leaned back and nodded, clearly satisfied. "I agree. So today, we're going back out to the field. I have a few things to show you, since you're living with me for the time being. I'll give you the grand tour of the grounds, and if you happen to see anything unusual, keep it to yourself. No need for me to even know."

Aaron nodded enthusiastically. The dream visit to the field had dulled his fear of the place, and he couldn't help wondering if somewhere out on the grassy plain, the girl with petal soft lips would be watching and waiting for him, just as she had promised in that dream. It was ridiculous to hope for such a thing. After all, do other dreams end up being true? But even still, there was something about her that he liked.

His neck tickled and he moved to scratch the itch, his fingers brushing against something metal. He tugged and pulled a pendant out of the front of his shirt, so warm from laying against his skin that he hadn't even noticed it was there.

The dream girl's pendant.

* * *

Song in Title: What the Water Gave Me by Florence + the Machine


	18. Chapter 18: See Who I Am

**A/N: **This update is long overdue. My apologies! I got really sick thanks to someone being too cool to cover their mouth when they cough, and it has taken me a long time to get better. To make up for the delay, I'm giving out gallons of peach sherbet to all of my readers. It's the good stuff with hallucinogenic ingredients that lead to fantasies involving David Bowie. Enjoy!

* * *

Once everyone and everything had went to bed for the night, realization hit Sarah and a feeling of dread seeped in. Hosting Samhain would keep her trapped here much longer than she planned for, and she wasn't sure she could hide her true nature from the fey rulers much longer. Already she had blundered in a number of ways. Maeve saved her once, and Titania's eagerness to insult had saved her once as well. Sarah felt sure that the fey would see through her slipping mask at some point during the ancient celebration. And then... she didn't know what then.

Sleep wouldn't be easy, but she felt she should at least try. There were no scientific studies on the longterm effects of awakening tinctures, but logic said that there had to be a price for depending on them so heavily. Sarah knew she was developing a resistance to the awakening tonics, and it now took triple the normal dose to feel any impact whatsoever. The simplest solution to the problem was to actually allow her body to rest for the night.

After bidding her general and vassal a sleepy goodnight, she made her way to the royal chambers.

In the Ikea room, Sarah dressed in a pair of cosy pajama bottoms and paired them with an old band shirt. She could read the name on the shirt, and the logo looked somewhat familiar, but try as she might, she couldn't recall any of their music. With great care, she removed the fine silver locket from her throat and laid it on the dresser. Rhiannon had removed hers not long after discovering Puck in the Labyrinth, so there was no point in Sarah keeping hers on. Rhiannon was hiding something, she knew, but she didn't begrudge the other woman her privacy.

The bleak plainness of the room was unbearably drab to Sarah now, but she forced herself to lay down on the pillowtop bed anyway. In her mind, she recited Aaron's full name, his birthday, his birthweight, his favorite color, his favorite food, his favorite book...

Sarah remembered the name of the town they lived in, she remembered the name of the man she married, she remembered her lost mother, her dead father, her missing brother...

She recalled the big things with some focus, but everything else was blurring out, like a vivid dream that fades away upon waking. Only the highlights of her life stood out, and given time, even they would ebb and become nothing but a distant memory.

At some point during the night, Sarah must have fallen asleep. When the Labyrinth called out to her she startled awake, disoriented and double checking to see if she were Above or Below. Sleep deprivation was taking its toll on Sarah's mind, and she conjured herself to the disturbance without thinking to change into other clothes. If Puck was surprised to see the Goblin Queen materialize in front of him wearing a Journey t-shirt and Hello Kitty pajama bottoms, he didn't show it. Instead, he leaned against the archway and smiled his infuriating grin.

"It was rather naughty of you to remove the windows and doors from my room. Made the place feel like a cave or dungeon."

"We can do the dungeon, if you like." Sarah replied, dead serious.

"It wouldn't hold me and you know it." he replied. "But you could try."

Sarah sighed. "What are you doing out here, Puck?"

"Well, I was watching to see if Her Ladyship went on that moonlit stroll I suggested. So far, she hasn't showed. Spoil sport." he huffed. "She acts so stuffy, but she's not perfect by any stretch."

Sarah tried to stifle a yawn unsuccessfully and Puck smiled. "Is it past your bedtime, Milady? As fetching as you look in your swanky imported duds, I think you should head back to the castle and get some rest."

"And leave you out here?"

"That's the idea, yes."

"No way! I don't trust you enough for that."

"You wound me, O Queen. I deserve a little credit, don't you think? I didn't tell Tani the half of what I've seen in here." Puck pointed out with an exaggerated pout.

That gave Sarah pause. She had noticed Puck's reluctance to satisfy Titania's curiosity during their meal. "Why didn't you? And how do I know that you won't just fill her in later?"

"Oh, you already know the answer to both of those questions." Puck snorted. "Haven't you already had your fill of Titania's sparkling personality?"

"She is rather insufferable." Sarah admitted.

"Can you imagine living with her? I don't like being controlled. I'm loyal to Oberon when it pleases me, but I don't feel like I owe that annoying little peacock anything. I'll never be her puppet on a string, and this whole incident should teach Tani to leave me out of her plans. I'm a very forgetful spy, after all."

"So if you're not acting as a spy for Titania, why are you out here right now? Did you lose something when you were wandering around earlier?"

"I appreciate fine architecture. Why, look at this magnificent arch! It's built to stand the test of time." Puck lied, crossing his arms and staring at the nearby arch in mock contemplation.

"Would another trip down the pit convince you that telling me the truth might be a good idea?" Sarah asked sweetly.

"Cruel. Very cruel." he praised. "You have me, Milady. I'm actually on a personal quest as well. On the side, of course."

"Of course." Sarah murmured. "Why don't you just tell me what you're after? What could it hurt?"

"You could spoil the prank of the century."

"Is Titania the target of said prank? Because if so, I'll actually just give you whatever you need. As long as no loss of life is involved."

"Oh, she must have really stepped in it today!" Puck crowed with glee. "She's usually a better actress than that, but perhaps she doesn't care enough about your opinion to put forth the effort. You rule a terribly rural kingdom, after all."

"Maybe. Or maybe I just want to sleep without worrying about you wandering about."

"Perhaps."

"What is it that you're after?"

"Boom powder."

"Boom powder? That's all? Sheesh, why didn't you say so?" Emboldened by lack of sleep, Sarah grabbed Puck by the arm and conjured them both to the kitchens. There she found the boom powder on the shelf with the spices. Rather than removing it from the spice shelf, the goblins had etched the bottle with a bright red X instead. Goblins had their own logic.

"You keep highly combustible substances right above the stove?" asked Puck, eyebrows raised.

"It's the last place a thief would look." Sarah explained. "I'll give this to you if you promise to go to bed and stay in bed. And you can't tell anyone where you got it, either."

"Deal."

Sarah pressed the bottle of boom powder into the trickster's eager hands. "Now, for sleep."

"Goodnight, Your Ladyship. I owe you one." said Puck with a mocking bow.

"Oh no. You're not weaseling out on your end of the bargain that easily."

Sarah disappeared and reappeared suddenly with a potion in hand. She was just about to grab Puck's arm when he held out a hand to stop her. "Allow me, Little Miss Bossy. You've conjured me around enough for one night." He grabbed Sarah's arm and transported them both to where the door to his room once was. With the flick of Sarah's wrist, the doors and windows reappeared and they entered.

"So, which side of the bed do you prefer?" Puck asked, staring at his still made bed thoughtfully.

"Excuse me?"

"If you're planning on keeping tabs on me all night, you'll have to stay in here. I say we make the best of it. I'd be a gentleman and give you the bed, but stone is so very hard on the back."

Sarah shook her head. "I'm planning to knock you out with a sleeping potion so I can go sleep in my own quarters in peace."

Puck's eyes widened. "So you expect me to let you drug me willingly? That takes a lot of trust. A lot could happen while I'm under. I've seen how you look at me."

"Oh? Like you're a blithering idiot?"

"I interpreted it as hidden lust. Bummer."

Sarah stood in front of him and held out the bottle. "Drink this. Now."

"Fine. Fine. I don't see the point. It won't affect me."

"I think it will."

"I act like a clown most of the time, but I'm right up there with Oberon, Tani and Her Creepiness." He took several long gulps to prove his point. "See? Nothing." He swayed and lurched forward suddenly, unprepared for the impact of the potion. Sarah caught him by placing her hands on both his shoulders. Their faces were inches apart and he gave her a smile that was tired and wolfish at the same time.

In response, Sarah shoved him backwards hard, and he started snoring the moment his head hit the mattress.

With a sigh, Sarah stepped away from the trickster and made her way towards the doorway. She was nearly out the door when a sudden movement drew her attention to the window. In the distance, a figure sat on the roof of the castle, shoulders slumped and back rounded. The wind played with her hair, blowing it around her head like a messy crown. The figure made no attempt to smooth it back down.

The castle roof was steep, and the smooth shingles looked too slippery and dangerous to risk walking on. Sarah brought herself to the ground below instead and prepared to yell up at Rhiannon, but she paused when she noticed that she wasn't alone. In the shadows stood Sir Didymus, Ambrosius and Hoggle.

"Milady, shouldn't you be in bed at this hour?" asked Sir Didymus with a small bow.

"What's she doing up there?" Sarah asked, ignoring his question.

"Don't worry 'bout her, Sarah." replied Hoggle. "She's just in one o' her black moods. Ludo'll have her down in no time."

"Ludo is up there?" asked Sarah with genuine worry. She couldn't imagine the gentle giant trying to keep his footing on the steep stones of the roof.

"Nearly, Fairest One. He's climbing up the vines."

And he was. Sarah looked just in time to see Ludo skillfully climb the last few feet of the castle wall using the thick vines that tenaciously clung to everything in the Goblin Kingdom. Ludo sat down awkwardly beside Rhiannon and began patting her back roughly with one huge hand. Neither of them seemed to notice the group watching from the ground.

"See, Milady? We have everything under control here, so please allow yourself to get some rest." urged Sir Didymus.

"Yeah, we should probably make ourselves scarce before Ludo brings her down. Never a pleasant thing to talk to 'er when she's in a bad mood." said Hoggle with a shudder.

"Does Rhiannon do this often while I'm away?" asked Sarah. She sincerely hoped not, but this whole thing had the feeling of a well-worn routine.

"Not so much, Milady." replied Sir Didymus. "But whenever it does happen, Ludo is the only one who can pull her out of it. I've often wondered what words of wisdom he has for the General."

"It's prolly more what he _doesn't_ say that helps." muttered Hoggle.

"Now if I may be so bold, Your Majesty, I must ask you to _shoo."_ said Sir Didymus apologetically, waving his hand at Sarah. "Get some fine rest and we'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah. Goodnight, Sarah." said Hoggle.

Sarah nodded and forced herself to walk away. The jealousy that nibbled at the pit of her stomach surprised her, and she forced it away. Still, she couldn't deny that it felt wrong for her friends to be out there with her replacement, as if they cared for her more.

_Isn't this what you've always wanted? You wanted them to stop needing you, and now they have. _The thought made her sad, even if it was all for the best.

In the morning, the Seelie and Unseelie royals were all eager to leave. Sarah tried to hide just how happy she was to see them all go. She did feel a little sorry for Puck, who was acting like he was suffering a bit of a hangover from his potion. To ease her conscience, she slipped him a small vial of awakening tonic. He eyed it dubiously before downing it all in one go. As soon as it kicked in, he sighed in relief.

Titania caught the prankster's mouthed 'thank you' to Sarah and looked at them both in disgust.

_Let her think whatever she wants. _Sarah thought.

Breakfast was offered but declined, and soon the palace was quiet and devoid of unwanted visitors. Goblins cautiously emerged from every nook and cranny of the castle, and in no time the place was filled with the sounds of laughter, carousing and the clucking of chickens. As the order assumed for the fey monarchs descended into comfortable chaos, Sarah sat on the throne in the now messy throne room, deep in thought.

"It was unavoidable." commented Rhiannon, kicking an inebriated goblin aside with her boot so she could stand in front of the throne. She looked the same as always, and if Sarah hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she never would have believed that the forlorn girl on the roof was Rhiannon at all.

"I know. That doesn't make me any happier about it, though."

"Well, it is what it is. You should start interviewing some of your fey subjects to get an idea of how Samhain usually works, and we'll start preparing accordingly-"

"Actually, I'm heading to the library. Follow me."

Sarah and Rhiannon both appeared in the newly rediscovered library. Sarah turned to face the shapeshifter. "I refuse to let this nonsense with Samhain get in the way of finding the Goblin King-"

"It's not nonsense, Sarah. The ceremony is the foundation of peace in this wretched realm!"

"You can act as queen and take care of Samhain while I search through the books in here. With this many magical books in one place, there has to be some useful knowledge that can help us find the rightful ruler of this land."

"So you expect me to handle this whole mess all by myself?"

"What would you do if I wasn't here? You're more than capable of acting as queen while I'm away-"

"I don't think the Goblin King is real anymore, Sarah. He's been blotted out of existence. You're wasting your time and mine by insisting on moving forward with this silly quest. We'll do things your way this time, of course, but we need to rethink things once Samhain is over. I've got to be honest, I'm done with this entire charade."

"Do you have to abandon me when I need help the most?" asked Sarah.

"You always need help!" Rhiannon hissed, glaring at Sarah hotly. "I'm not abandoning you, but none of this was supposed to be a permanent thing. We'll talk about it more later. Apparently I have an asinine celebration to plan."

Rhiannon stalked out of the library. "Enjoy your reading, Your Worship." she called over her shoulder.

Sarah spent the rest of the morning and afternoon trawling through books, but there was little information to go on. She learned a lot, but nothing seemed to jog her memory. If there was a Goblin King, Sarah had to have made a connection with him once, yet nothing rang any bells.

It was after dinnertime when Bubble brought the Queen up a tray of food from the kitchens.

"There was a bit of trouble earlier, just between you and me, Lady." murmured Bubble quietly as she poured the tea. "Lady Rhiannon threw someone in the dungeons, and theys been yelling ever since."

"Rhiannon threw someone in the dungeon without consulting me first? Who?" Sarah asked.

"I don't know. Alls I knows is that they've been screaming about a False Queen, whatever that means."

Sarah conjured a mirror and focused on the dungeon. To her surprise, the image of the Unseelie child appeared, and the little girl was screaming and seething in her cell.

"Oh no!" cried Sarah, transporting herself to the dungeons straightaway. The guards were ordered to unlock the door and soon Sarah stood face to face with the fey child.

"I was wondering when you'd show up." muttered the girl, pouting. "Your False Queen thinks I'm a spy or something."

Sarah didn't try to deny the fact that she had an impostor. If anything, she was glad to be saved the trouble of explaining. "I'm really sorry about that. Why did she think you were a spy?"

"I thought she was you at first, but then she didn't remember me. I was trying to prompt her to remember, and I mentioned that I knew you were human. Things got really crazy from there. I definitely picked the wrong thing to say."

"Maybe I should have told her about you." said Sarah sheepishly.

"Yes, perhaps you should have told her." said Rhiannon from the doorway, looking irritated at both of them in turn. "Some weird kid shows up and I'm supposed to be okay with the fact that she knows things she shouldn't?"

"You didn't have to throw her in the dungeon, Rhiannon! If this is how you act when I'm here, I hate to think how cruel you are when I'm gone!"

"Quit speaking so damn freely in front of an Unseelie stranger, and don't tell me how to do my job. If you want things done differently, find another minion." Rhiannon hissed, turning on her heel and stalking from the dungeon.

Sarah ran her fingers through her hair in agitation. _What the hell is wrong with her? _"I am so sorry-"

"Don't be. She was just being cautious. You never can tell with strangers, and I should have realized what she was sooner. In the end, this is my fault. I stayed behind at the last minute because Queen Maeve wanted you to have an idea of what to expect during Samhain, and I've seen a few of them in my time. A little warning would have prevented this entire situation."

"Oh! Well that was thoughtful of Queen Maeve-"

"Not really. The queens dislike each other, and Maeve enjoys foiling Titania's plans. Kindness doesn't motivate the queen."

"Well, I appreciate it anyway."

The sounds of metal against metal drew Sarah to the window. There in the training grounds below stood Rhiannon, sparring heatedly with two armored warriors. Their movements were fast, and Rhiannon's swings looked deadly, even if her sword trembled a bit in her grip.

"I wonder what's gotten into her." Sarah muttered to herself. "She's acting like such a child."

"I think she shows an amazing amount of self-control for what she's made of. Regret, rage and loss usually make for a very unstable specimen." remarked the Unseelie who had joined Sarah at the window.

Sarah frowned deeper. "Specimen... of what?"

The Unseelie child looked up at Sarah and stared, eyes glittering with curiosity. "You're joking, right?"

"Joking about what?"

The little girl's eyebrows knitted together as she frowned. "That person down there... what do you remember about her? How did you meet?"

"She showed up one day-"

"So you did it_ intuitively?_ That makes things even stranger. No wonder humans don't wield magic. It's too unpredictable!" the child cried. "That thing down there is a golem animated through pure, living emotion. I pick up on pain, regret and sorrow, but I could be wrong. Whatever feeling she's made of, it's strong."

"How is that possible? I've never heard of such a thing."

"Your magic is instinctive, so maybe you had some pain you just couldn't face and spontaneously created her as a means of dealing with it. Humans are really weak in that way, or so I've heard. Puck made a golem on accident once and it was pretty legendary. His doppelganger tied him naked to Oberon's throne and just left him there. Puck couldn't decide if the prank was heinous or hilarious."

"Where's Puck's double now?"

"He dispelled him once he figured out how to control his magic. Took him a few decades to do it, too. Rumor is that Puck has more than a little human blood in his veins, but don't tell him I told you so."

"Dispelled? He destroyed his twin?"

"No, no. A golem is never more than a shadow of the original, and an unhappy shadow at that. Even if the False Queen wasn't stitched together with regret and woe, she would never be happy living as a fragment."

"Do you think she knows what she is?" Sarah asked.

"Golems always know what they are, or rather what they're not." The Unseelie child replied.

Sarah felt sick to her core, because on some level, she had always known what Rhiannon was. Thinking back, Sarah could remember a pain and regret so strong that it made getting through the day nearly impossible. It had been those feelings of hopelessness that triggered her first involuntary trip into the Underground. Loss. Complete and crippling loss. But what had she lost?

Sarah shoved aside those thoughts and led the Unseelie child from the dungeons.

"What do I call you? If you're staying here for the next two weeks I'll need to call you something." said Sarah.

"Hm. Well, you can't pick up my name indirectly since none of my companions are here to mention it. I guess you could just call me whatever you want." the girl replied.

"Well, that's not exactly what I was expecting." Sarah replied, stealing a glance at the child by her side. "How about Blondie?"

"It could be worse, I guess." muttered the girl as she pinched a lock of platinum hair between her sharply clawed fingertips.

"I always wished to be blonde when I was growing up." Sarah admitted.

"And that's probably why your golem is blonde. You could make her whatever you wanted." remarked Blondie thoughtfully. "I think brown hair suits you better."

Sarah settled the girl in a well-appointed guest bedroom and then turned her thoughts back to her General. Rhiannon seemed so real. Could she really be nothing more than a fragment of Sarah herself?

Sarah went back to the library and read up on golems. At their core, most of them were made from sticks, stumps, leaves, ashes, bones, mud or clay... Sarah certainly didn't remember fashioning a body out of strange objects, and she certainly didn't remember willing Rhiannon to come to life.

"Hey." called Rhiannon from the doorway. "Sorry about that earlier with the kid. I_ was_ going to tell you about her."

Sarah stared at Rhiannon a moment before responding. "Do you know what you are?"

"Me? Of course. Why? Did you remember?" she asked.

"Not on my own. The girl you threw in the dungeon said not to hold it against you because you're made of regret or something?"

Rhiannon sighed. "It would have been better if you had finally remembered on your own."

"So you don't deny it? You're a freaking golem?" cried Sarah, voice rising in pitch.

"I'm not just any freaking golem, Sarah. I'm yours, so kindly keep your voice down." she replied.

"I can't even believe this."

"Well believe it, Princess. Now, are you going to dispel me or what?"

"Dispel you? No, never!" replied Sarah, horrified.

"Why not?"

"It would feel like murder." Sarah mumbled, frowning.

Rhiannon groaned. "It's not like that. It will be a relief! As soon as you take me back, you'll understand."

"I can't."

"Yes, you can. Now hurry it up. You can always bring me back again afterwards."

The idea of being able to bring Rhiannon back made Sarah feel better about dispelling her, but try as she might, she couldn't break the spell that kept the golem alive. Intuitive magic proved far too hard to perform on command.

"Try again. Imagine that I'm a mirror you've conjured, and dispel the illusion." Rhiannon instructed. Sarah tried, but nothing happened.

"Maybe you've lived too long to be dispelled." Sarah offered. "Maybe golems reach a point where they're truly alive and living apart from their creator."

Rhiannon sighed and shook her head. "God, I hope not. If that's the case, I'll have to kill myself. I can't live like this forever. I think that deep down, you don't want to succeed, and that's what's blocking your efforts."

"I'm trying! Surely you can see that I am!"

"You don't believe. You look at me and see a separate being, alien and foreign. You can't handle the fact that this frustration, anger and hurt is all your own. You don't want to own it. You don't want to own me." Rhiannon finished in a whisper.

Sarah opened her mouth to speak but then snapped her mouth shut when she realized that this living, breathing reflection of herself might have a point. It went beyond just having someone to keep the fictional kingdom afloat while she lived her real life above... Rhiannon was the personification of all the brokenness that Sarah didn't want to face.

"I hate you." Sarah blurted suddenly. She covered her mouth the moment the words left her lips, stunned.

Rhiannon smiled wryly. "Good. Maybe that's a start. But there is something you should know. You look at me and see weakness, but whatever these painful memories are, they have the potential to be your greatest power. When you take back this pain and learn to live with it, do you think there is anything you can't face? Do you really think that you'll go back to your life Above and live it the same way all over again? No, you won't. You'll be unstoppable, Sarah. You'll leave Daniel behind, and you'll be a stronger mother for your son."

"That's really easy for you to say, because you don't know what it's like-"

"You're the one who doesn't know what it's like. I know what it feels like to have hopes, dreams and ambitions. I remember the feeling of loving, really loving, with limitless potential. Having desires and dreams isn't a bed of roses... odds are that there is no happily ever after. But it's worth it to have the hope for something more. Something greater."

"Was I really so sentimental once?" Sarah asked, not trying to hide her disdain.

"I don't have direct access to the memories that went into my creation, but I know that you loved once. You loved and lost, and then you lost again. Your father's death was the final straw."

"Yeah. He was the last man in the world who would see me as his Princess."

They tried into the wee hours of the morning, but Sarah didn't have it within herself to dispel whatever enchantment was holding Rhiannon to life. In the end, it was Rhiannon that shoved Sarah into bed and ordered her to sleep.

"Go to bed, Your Worship. Exhaustion leads to weird magic, and things are strange enough here as it is."

"I don't think I can sleep." stated Sarah, eyes wide despite the deep purple shadows under her eyes. Sarah was driven... driven to go home, driven to find the Goblin King, driven to figure out a way to give her shadow self some peace. Driven and pulled in too many directions at once.

"Well_ try,_ Sarah. Don't make me break out the goblin ale."

"What _is_ that stuff made out of, anyway?" asked Sarah as she snuggled deeper into her pillowtop bed.

"Goblins are surprisingly secretive about their recipes, and no two batches are exactly alike. Seems they usually start with a base of mead and brine, and then they add all manner of godawful stuff like turpentine, kerosene, tar or camphor. One creative goblin even bathed a chicken in his ale barrel, 'For flavors.' he said. We will have to let the goblins know that they are not to share their ale with the fey during the celebration."

Sarah yawned. "I doubt the fey are expecting our goblin subjects to actively participate in their little revel."

Rhiannon scowled. "The first pointy-eared moron to say a thing about it will get a few mouthfuls of goblin ale courtesy of yours truly. As if one could ask the Goblin Kingdom to throw a party without involving the goblins. It's unthinkable."

"I agree with you, but Titania seems like the type to be just that unreasonable."

"Well, the only silver lining to this entire thing is how much fun the goblins will have. No one is taking that small joy from me." Rhiannon stated grimly.

"You care about the goblins, don't you?"

"When they aren't being perfect little monsters, they're actually not that bad." Rhiannon admitted. "One couldn't ask for subjects more honest or loyal. You always know exactly where you stand with goblins."

Sarah woke in the middle of the afternoon the next day, much to her chagrin. The long sleep seemed to finally put a real dent in the sleep deficit Sarah's body was suffering, and she was surprised to actually feel fairly good. She had forgotten what real energy felt like. The Unseelie child was waiting for her in the sitting room, so she dressed quickly and hurried to meet with her.

It appeared that the child and Rhiannon had already been discussing the ceremony for quite some time, judging by Rhiannon's large sheaf of notes. When Rhiannon handed Sarah the papers for her perusal, she realized that she recognized the awkward scrawl as her own adolescent handwriting. Now that she knew what to look for in Rhiannon, she saw all kinds of simple mannerisms and idiosyncrasies that seemed vaguely, hauntingly familiar. How many times had Sarah been reprimanded by Karen for sitting in her chair the way Rhiannon did now? How many times did her friends tease her for nibbling the end of her pencil as Rhiannon had clearly been doing to the pen in her hand?

This new knowledge made Sarah uncomfortable in Rhiannon's presence. She wanted to tell the shadow to leave, because these reminders of the past did little to endear the girl to her. But she knew she wasn't being fair, so she pointedly turned her attention to the plans in her hands.

"This will require a lot of building." stated Sarah, chewing her lip. "Can we possibly get it all done in time?"

"That depends on you, Sarah." Rhiannon replied. "If your subjects supplied the skeleton of these buildings and you fleshed it out in the end with your imaginative faculties, I think it could happen."

"Imaginative faculties?" the Unseelie child echoed, head cocked to the side like an inquisitive puppy.

"Sarah is human, and her imagination is strong. Because she is this land's ruler, the place bends to her whims and wishes, provided that they are strong enough." explained Rhiannon.

"Hmm. That's a very useful power." replied the child, eyeing Sarah appreciatively. "It will certainly make things easier."

"Not really. I've never seen a Samhain before, so how can I imagine the setting properly?"

"I doubt anyone expects the setting to be perfect. The real danger is you failing to use your right words as ruler of this land, but I will tell you exactly what to say to avoid starting a war. I'm not sure what Titania hopes to gain by pulling this little stunt, but a war won't be it if I can help it." said the child firmly.

Sarah felt tears prick at her eyes and she blinked them away furiously. "I don't know how I can repay you for your help-"

"I do." said the Unseelie child crisply. "You will throw a celebration to remember, you won't give Titania the satisfaction of seeing her plans come to fruition, and you will allow an Unseelie witch to aid you in dispelling the golem once the ceremony is over. All the proper oaths will be said to ensure the witch's discretion regarding your... condition. Oh, and you'll never, ever call me Blondie again. That's all I ask."

"Blondie? You've been calling her Blondie?" Rhiannon snorted.

"Can you come up with anything better?" Sarah hissed.

"Yeah. Kid. Call her Kid. Or Toothy. Or Fangs."

As soon as the meeting was done, construction began on the outbuildings needed for hosting the Samhain revel. The goblins outstripped their fey counterparts during the actual building process, especially when they were allowed to drink on the job. The goblins thought that getting ready for the party was a new exciting game, reward enough in and of itself, and Sarah couldn't help smiling as she watched them dig into their work with childlike enthusiasm.

Hoggle was named construction foreman, and he used his naturally grumpy attitude to keep the goblins moving on schedule. Sir Didymus was tasked with dealing with the fey members of the construction team, since his manners were impeccable and the fey were all genuinely fond of the brave knight. Ludo was in his element during the building process as well, calling and smashing down rocks as needed and lifting unimaginably heavy loads for the weaker members of his team.

As the days rolled by, Sarah grew closer to her Unseelie ally almost on accident. The woman was careful not to let too many details regarding her life Above slip, but the child seemed to pick up on things almost by osmosis. Sarah had a sneaking suspicion that the 'child' wasn't really much of a child at all, and she often wondered just how old the girl really was. Sarah finally asked her how aging worked among the immortal, and the child said that fey were literally as old as they felt, nothing more. This nonanswer answered Sarah's question perfectly.

In the late evening hours when all the construction teams had gone home for the night, Sarah worked her magic over the area, using the Unseelie girl's instructions as a guide. When she opened her eyes and saw the grandeur of the arena before her, all she could think about was Aaron._ I wish Aaron were here. He would find this so fascinating!_

"Who's Aaron?" asked the Unseelie child thoughtfully. Sarah blanched at the idea of saying his name out loud.

"He's someone close to me in my life Above." she replied, trying not to show her discomfort.

"Ah. A lover?" the girl pressed.

"No, not exactly."

"A son. Is he your son?" she asked impishly, grinning wide.

"He is no concern of yours." Sarah snapped, suddenly tired of the child's antics.

"So he is a son. Your son. And he's Above. That must be hard for you." said the child with a frown. "I can't imagine that. As a matter of fact, I can't imagine having a son at all, much less one living a realm away. Why isn't he here? He should be. If you're the Queen, he's the heir of this kingdom."

"It's complicated." Sarah mumbled.

"Things are only as complicated as you make them." the child stated sagely. "But we'll talk about that more later. Right now, let's just bask in the glory of a job well done. This place looks magnificent! Titania's face will be priceless!" The girl squealed in delight.

Sarah couldn't help the grin that split her face. "You really think so?"

"I'm counting on it. But there is no rest for the wicked. It's time for you to learn the role you must play during the celebrations. We have three days, so let's not waste a minute."

Sarah sighed. "How horrible will this be to remember?"

"It won't be bad. You're going to have a most excellent teacher." the girl boasted haughtily. "I got top marks in Academy, and I could easily play the part of diplomat if I were so inclined. That position isn't exactly coveted in the Unseelie Court. I'm sure you can imagine."

Sarah nodded soberly. The girl nudged her with a bony elbow.

"Cheer up, human. In three days, all this will be over."

Sarah tried to hide her lack of excitement. She had never liked parties, so how was she supposed to look forward to hosting an otherworldly revel? But on the same note, in three days she would be free to get back to searching for the Goblin King. In three days, the Unseelie witch would teach her how to retract her shadow self. In three days, she could go home. Wasn't all that exciting?

"I can't wait!" Sarah replied with an enthusiasm she didn't entirely feel.

* * *

**Song in Title:** See Who I Am by Within Temptation


	19. Chapter 19: Breaking Down

**A/N:** New posting schedule: Whenever the next chapter chooses to present itself. Hopefully sooner than later, lol. It's vague but more accurate than the "at least once a week" schedule I was originally aiming for.

To my readers, reviewers and followers... thank you! The next chapter is already written and waiting in the wings. :)

* * *

Aaron was running out of bribes for Ms. Locklear, so he settled for an unimaginative offering of a shiny red apple as the gift of the day. **Operation Terrorize Ms. Locklear** was in its 10th day, and Aaron counted it as a success so far.

After the tours of the fields, Aaron had thought long and hard about how to keep his new knowledge a secret from the young schoolteacher who knew him so well. He imagined what he would have done if his grandfather had handled things differently and cut him off from the truth. What would have he done in that situation? He would have begged and pleaded with Nora, of course. He would have doggedly tried to convince her to open up and share all the secrets she was hiding from him. So into his backpack the red apple went.

Ms. Locklear couldn't hide her tired sigh when Aaron placed the apple on her desk with a brilliant, desperate smile. It was wearing her nerves thin, just like Aaron planned. Aaron still liked Ms. Locklear, so he felt a small twist of guilt at making her feel so rotten. But the older part of him, the part that had been so loud lately, demanded that he take whatever steps needed to keep his grandfather safe. The old man had went out on a limb for him and trusted him. He would never break that kind of trust.

The Clearie boys misunderstood Aaron's frequent gifts to the teacher and teased him about his "crush" mercilessly, but that didn't bother Aaron so much. He suspected that their new meanness was due in large part to the sudden growth spurt that put him nose to nose with both of the older boys almost overnight.

During recess, Aaron tried playing dodgeball, but the eerie feeling of eyes on his back made him a poor player so he soon bowed out of the game. He caught a glimpse of his father sitting in the parking lot in his car, staring at him through the see through cyclone fencing. He shivered. Aaron wished his dad would quit stalking him, but it wasn't something he could tell anyone at the school about. Daniel was his father, after all. Still, those cold, flat eyes creeped him out. He hated the idea of finding himself alone with his old man when his eyes looked like that.

"Look alive, dumbass!" called Chris, nailing Aaron with a dodgeball, hard. Aaron took the shot right in the nose and blood soon spotted the front of his new shirt. He hardly flinched at the pain and instead glared at the boy as if he were a mere annoyance.

"Nice shot, Einstein." Aaron replied, spitting at Chris' feet. Chris danced away like the bloody drool was acid and laughed.

"That your old man out there again?" asked Jason after handing Aaron a hankie.

"Maybe. I'm not sure." Aaron lied, pinching his nose in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"My dad says he's been acting a little nuts lately." said Jason. "Let's give the crazy something to look at." The boy gave the guy sitting in the car the finger when he was sure no one else was looking. The car's engine came to life and the man drove away.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, dude." muttered Aaron.

"I'm not scared of your old man, Aaron. What's he gonna do? Pop outta my closet like the boogie man?"

"I almost wouldn't put it past him." admitted Aaron. All three of them laughed. This strange camaraderie between them was still new, and it was awkward at times. Aaron wasn't sure why the Clearie twins had suddenly decided that he was okay. Maybe it was pity. Maybe it was boredom. Whatever the reason, Aaron enjoyed their company more than he cared to admit. There was something raw and real about them that he liked. And as long as the twins stayed away from his owl, things were golden.

"You better get cleaned up before your girlfriend sees. I'd rather not get detention today, if it's all the same to you." said Chris, glancing at Ms. Locklear's back.

"I wasn't paying attention. Happens all the time." Aaron stated. "If they gave a crap about our safety, dodgeball wouldn't be** the** official sport of recess."

The school issued students textbooks held together with duct tape, spit and glue, and the desks were rusting beneath the students who sat at them, but the school always invested in new dodgeballs for recess. The bright orange orbs of death still had that new rubber smell, even. If the school burned down tomorrow, Aaron felt sure that the first order of business would be buying a new batch of rubber balls for the students to attack each other with.

Aaron cleaned up with the hankie and a water bottle before any adults saw his blood-streaked face, and Ms. Locklear had the decency to ignore Aaron's swollen nose until class let out. She let him go with the promise that he'd get it checked out as soon as he got home.

"I've had worse, Ms. Locklear. I'm sure you remember." whispered Aaron with a conspiratorial grin. Nora flinched and turned away, clearly not wanting to talk about the supernatural today.

Henry picked Aaron up after school, as was routine now. Aaron told his grandfather about the incident with his dad, and the old man frowned deeply without saying anything. Aaron didn't blame him. What could be said? Henry was much less concerned about Aaron's bruised nose than Nora had been, and there was no mention of having it checked by a doctor.

They paid a visit to Aaron's mother that afternoon. That was Aaron's favorite thing about living with his grandfather. He could visit his mother everyday. In the past, Aaron was never taken to visit with his mother during her illnesses. Aaron wasn't sure if it was due to Daniel being cruel or simply lazy. Whatever the reason, he was grateful for the opportunity to see her now.

Henry gave Aaron some time to talk with his mother alone, which the boy appreciated very much. He pulled up a chair and took Sarah's hand gently in his, reveling in the warm softness of it. Sarah was asleep, but she was alive. He didn't know how long it would be before she returned to him, but he had faith that she would awaken soon.

When he was certain that they were completely alone, Aaron told Sarah about his day and told her more about his adventures with the girl out in the field. They had made a habit of meeting out there in the early morning hours to talk and explore together before school, and Aaron had been filling his mother in every day. He told her about the hounds, the hidden treasures and the secret caches of armor and swords. He retold tales that the girl had told him about worlds and realms beyond the ordinary one humans lived in. He told her about the fey. Aaron talked mostly for the sake of Sarah hearing his voice, because he believed that his voice might help her awaken faster, but he also talked to her because he missed her. He missed her terribly.

As Aaron spoke, he saw a familiar flash of beige and white in the tree outside of Sarah's window. It was the owl. If Aaron had suspected something strange about the bird before, it had been confirmed through the owl's frequent visits to the care facility. No bird in the world was smart enough to do something like that.

"When you wake up, I'm going to show you everything." Aaron vowed in a whisper for the hundredth time, squeezing Sarah's hand firmly. "It will be so fun! But you have to come back to me, okay? Come back and we'll have a great adventure together, just you and me." He carefully placed her hand on her stomach and patted it gently before rising to his feet. "I'm growing like a weed, Mother. You're going to hate it. You have to wake up and tell me to stop growing, or you might just wake up to a giant." Aaron kissed her cheek and went out to find his grandfather in the waiting area.

"Did you have a good visit?" asked Henry with a smile.

"Yes. Thank you for bringing me."

"I told you, quit thanking me for bringing you here. It's no problem at all."

They climbed into Henry's truck and grabbed some fast food. Henry really only knew how to cook pancakes, bacon and the occasional egg. And coffee, he definitely knew how to make coffee. But that was about the extent of the man's cooking abilities. Aaron had asked him once why he only ever cooked breakfast, and Henry had readily admitted that his prowess with the first meal of the day had everything to do with Aaron's late grandmother. Whenever Henry was in the doghouse, he would make his wife breakfast in bed to help things blow over. He claimed that they rarely ever fought, but that it was a nifty skill for any married man to have. "I'll teach you, kiddo. That way when you're a married man, you'll have skills to fall back on." Aaron had turned purple with embarrassment.

They ate right in the car without much ceremony, but these meals on the run had a charm all their own. Henry and Aaron would talk with their mouths full and wipe their mouths on their sleeves, and that was okay.

"Halloween is soon. Real soon. You've grown a ton, just in the past few weeks. I imagine that you'll need a new costume." said Henry before chugging down the rest of his soda with a few huge gulps.

Aaron frowned. "I'm not really into Halloween this year, Grandpa. Mom is always the one to make a big deal out of it, you know? It would feel strange to dress up without her around."

"Halloween is big in this town, kid. And maybe you should do it because of your mom. I bet she'd be pleasantly surprised if you had some pictures of a really great costume waiting for her when she wakes up."

Aaron considered this. He knew his mother's first line of business would be finding out just how much time she missed. She always seemed to worry that Aaron had missed out on some vital part of childhood because she wasn't there for him. Perhaps his grandfather was right. Maybe it would make things easier if Sarah knew that Aaron could take care of himself.

"That sounds like a good idea, when you put it that way."

"Not to mention all the candy."

The rest of the day was spent picking out a costume. Sarah usually made Aaron his costumes, so anything store bought was really a step down from that. Aaron settled on being Darth Vader, despite his grandfather's protests that the costume was too unoriginal.

"Even in this podunk town, there is bound to be another Lord Vader." he complained.

"I'm really feeling Star Wars this year." Aaron replied. And he was. Everything that could be printed with Star Wars, from soda cans to cereal boxes, was emblazoned with the familiar logo in honor of the newest movie.

"What about that new guy? The red one with horns all over his head?"

"Hopefully all the other kids will choose to be him this year." said Aaron with disgust.

"What, you didn't like _The Phantom Menace? _I thought it was pretty cool, if only for the visual effects."

"I boycotted that movie, Grandpa. They really messed up the storyline." Never mind the fact that his mother couldn't afford to take him to see it. He probably would have boycotted the movie anyway, on principle.

"Oh. You're one of _those_ fans." Henry muttered. "Fine. Darth Vader it is."

When Aaron went out to the field the next morning, the girl was there waiting for him and the dogs were nowhere to be seen. The hounds always gave the girl a wide berth, and Aaron was grateful for that. He still hadn't forgiven the mutts for poisoning his arm. The owl also refused to go anywhere near the girl, so apparently she was a repelling presence to animals in general. It made little sense to Aaron, but it didn't stop him from spending every spare moment of his day with her.

Aaron told the girl all about Halloween and trick or treating, and he asked her if she wanted to come with him.

"You're always out in the field." he said. "It must be boring out here. You could dress up with all the other kids and just have some fun for a while."

She sat with her hands folded primly in her lap, a perfect young lady in stark contrast to the untamed wildness of the sprawling fields around them. She was silent for a moment, mulling it over. Aaron held his breath and waited for her answer, feeling silly and unsure of himself all of the sudden. His attempts at bringing her to his grandfather's house always failed, so he wondered if this would be any different. Then she smiled and he let himself have some air, relieved.

"It's been a while since I celebrated Samhain." she said. "Doing it the human way would be a new experience, I suppose. But it could be dangerous too. If the Sighted One you've told me about were to see me, it would endanger your family, yes?"

"Yes. But you would dress up, just like everyone else. You could wear a costume like me."

"Anything I wear will be invisible to human eyes, just as I am. The costume wouldn't help with blending in."

Aaron was undaunted. "So let's say that Ms. Locklear happens to be out and about, and she sees a princess or a ghost following me and my group around. How would she know that the rest of the kids can't see you? How would she know that you didn't belong? You don't seem different to me. I'm just taking your word for it that other people can't see you."

"And the festivities begin after dark, I expect?" she asked.

Aaron nodded.

"Perhaps it wouldn't be too much of a risk. I will leave it up to you, Aaron. The decision is yours."

"Then I say we do it!" replied Aaron. "This will be your first Halloween, right?"

She nodded.

"Cool. And this will be my first Samhain, too. We can celebrate your way at night, when my grandfather is asleep. What do you think?"

The girl giggled and gave Aaron a small smile. "We can't have a proper Samhain, I'm afraid. It's a fey tradition, through and through. But your offer is kind. I will enjoy observing your human Halloween. It's been so long since I celebrated the fey festivals that I no longer feel like I'm missing anything."

"Festivals? There is more than one?" Aaron asked.

"Do you want me to tell you about them, Master?" she asked, sitting up a little taller.

"God, don't call me that!" Aaron cried, exasperated. Every time he thought he had broken her of the habit, she said it again.

"You hold the key, Master." she declared in a sing song voice. "So unless that's an order, I will call you that from time to time."

Aaron frowned. "I am curious about the festivals, but I only want to hear about them if you want to talk about them. It's not an order. Nothing is ever an order from me, Melusina."

"There are four fey festivals, each corresponding with the changing of the seasons." she began in her serious, lecturing tone. "The fey realms are strange and different from this human world you are so used to, but understand this: The fey realms are completely dependent on the mundane human world. The perception of time is different Above, but the seasons are linked nonetheless. It is Fall in the fey realms only when it's Fall here, and the same can be said for all other seasons. Samhain is the celebration marking the start of the darker half of the year, and the barrier between fey lands and human ones is thin during this transition. In some particularly thin places, fey actually breach the barrier and journey Above on the night of Samhain. Not all fey are kind, and many lack decency or discretion. It's the most dangerous night of the year for humans."

"Is that why Halloween is all about demons and monsters and dead things?"

"I've never seen your Halloween, so I can't be sure. But historically, humans pacified crueler fey by making offerings to them on the night of Samhain. The humans dressed up, hosted strange revels, made odd carvings and set out offerings of sweets or tender morsels of their harvests in hopes of garnering the protection and favor of wandering fey. The fey never wanted or needed any of that, but they delighted in being worshiped. Still do, I imagine."

"What about the other festivals? Is it dangerous during each changing season?" Aaron asked, disliking the thought of fey slinking around in the shadows every time the seasons dared change.

"The fey celebrate each seasonal transition, but only Samhain and Beltane draw Under and Above so close together. Beltane belongs to Leonina, so humans are quite safe from the fey during that thin time."

"Leonina? Who is Leonina?"

"Leonina is the great fey lover of humankind, especially young males. Pray you never meet her. Her protection comes at a horrible price. She sends seekers all over your world, looking for beautiful, talented humans. She makes them her trinkets, pets or lovers. Usually all three." Melusina's brown eyes flashed and Aaron nearly drew back, surprised by the intensity of his young friend as she recalled this person. "The only fate worse than being discovered by Leonina is catching Titania's eye."

"But if Beltane belongs to Leonina, why doesn't Samhain belong to anyone?"

"Samhain does belong to someone, Aaron. But he doesn't bother protecting humans during the long dark night. He hunts them instead."

"Who is he?"

"If he has a name, none care to use it. He's simply called The Hunter, or The First Hunter. Few ever bring him up at all. He's unimportant. People only talk about the group he leads on the night of Samhain and to mark the start of a great human calamity. He leads The Wild Hunt. I take back what I said... being hunted is worse than being loved by Leonina."

"If he hunts humans, why haven't I ever heard of him? How can he get away with it? Humans are getting more powerful every day! We have guns, bombs, tanks..."

Melusina sighed, and Aaron thought she might be growing tired of his questions, but she pressed on anyway. "The stories say that he sends the souls of humans to the Underworld. Not the Underground, you understand. The Underworld. Humans may be stronger now, but they are no match for a soul stealing monster."

"So this Hunter is the Devil?"

"No, I don't think so. The legends say that he throws human souls into the Underworld because he wants something from there, and he is barred from entering. The Devil would be more than welcome in Hell, yes?"

Aaron smiled ruefully. "Yes, I would think so. I've got to admit, if I hadn't already picked out my costume, I'd stay in on Halloween night. It sounds horrible, and I can _see_ now. I can see, and I have to pretend that I can't. It's going to be rough."

The girl placed a slender hand on Aaron's arm. "Your new Sight is all the more reason to go. You've asked me a million questions about the Otherworld, but words are no substitute for actually seeing for yourself. You'll be safer for celebrating the night too. The fey really do respect those who observe the festival in their own way."

The sound of the truck honking in the distance was Aaron's cue that he had missed the bus and was about to be late for school. He gave Melusina's shoulder a squeeze and sprinted for the driveway. As usual, Henry didn't ask what he had been doing out in the field. He simply drove Aaron to school without a word.

"Grandpa, do you have an old white sheet I could borrow?"

The corners of Henry's mouth twitched. "I sure do. Thought you were going as Darth Vader."

"Oh, well... always good to have a backup too, right?"

"Sure, kid. Gotta have a Plan B."

Fortunately for Aaron, Henry didn't mind speeding to get his grandson to school on time. Aaron made it through the hall just in the nick of time, and he received a mock salute from both of the Clearie twins as he burst through the door of the classroom. They seemed to think that Aaron's perpetual near lateness was some strange form of rebellion, and Aaron didn't bother correcting them.

Aaron frowned when the teacher entered the room because it was not Ms. Locklear. A heavyset man with greasy black hair slammed a dented briefcase on the desk and scrawled his name across the blackboard.

_Mr. Monroe_

The twins were trembling with delight, and Aaron could only imagine what they had in store for this poor substitute.

"You two." Mr. Monroe barked, pointing at the Clearie boys. "I've been warned about you fellas. You pull any crap with me and you're dead meat. You hear me?"

Jason and Chris stared at each other in disbelief. Teachers never talked to them like that. That was against the rules of the teacher student relationship. Aaron hardly noticed. Ms. Locklear almost never missed school, even if her nerves were so shot that her hands visibly shook and trembled. Shame washed over him as he thought about the bag of candies sitting in his bag, the bribe of the day. She had to be running low on his mother's tincture by now, and there was no telling when Sarah would be up and around to make the woman more of the medicine that helped her get through the day. Aaron raised his hand and asked when Ms. Locklear would be back. The twins snickered and made kissy faces at Aaron, which he ignored.

"Your teacher took her vacation early. That's all I know, kid."

Even through his worry, Aaron recognized that this would make Halloween a little easier this year. As far as he knew, Ms. Locklear was the only other Sighted One in Hawford. If he happened to gasp or stare at something unnatural during the unholy night, no one would know what was bothering him.

After school was over and he had visited with his mother, Aaron took off on foot from his grandfather's house to visit Ms. Locklear's place. The owl followed him, and Aaron was glad to spend some time with the bird. Most of his spare time had been spent with Melusina lately, and the owl avoided her completely. Aaron liked the girl, but he missed spending time with his owl.

"I don't get what you have against Melusina." Aaron remarked conversationally. "She's really nice, even if she insists on living out in the field all by herself."

The owl hooted and hissed in reply.

"Well. I'm bringing her with me on Halloween... I was hoping that you'd come along too. Would you? Because if not, we could just stay in that night. I could let Melusina know and I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

The owl landed on Aaron's shoulder had gave it a tight squeeze before becoming airborne again. Aaron took that as a yes. Yes, he would come along, and that made Aaron feel better about going out after dark. An owl wasn't much protection, but his presence made him feel safe anyway.

When they reached Nora's house, it was deserted. Aaron sat down on her front step and ran his hands through his hair, worried. The owl pecked at him, demanding to know what was bothering him.

"Ms. Locklear is scared to death of vehicles. She walks to and from school each day. Doesn't that make 'going on vacation' kind of hard? What did she do, pack up and go backpacking across Alabama?"

Aaron saw that the owl was now worried too and he felt bad for unloading his fears on the bird, no matter how ridiculously smart it was. The human was supposed to be strong for the pet, right? But as the owl took to the skies and urged Aaron back the way he came, all he felt was gratitude. It was nice to be looked after. With one final glance back at the quiet house Aaron followed, mumbling a prayer for his teacher under his breath. Only something big could convince that woman to set foot in a car.

* * *

Song in Title: Breaking Down by Florence + the Machine


	20. Chapter 20: Hotel California

**A/N:** Big thanks and cookies to the following reviewers: **F.E. Lin 78 - Chaos Aroura - MaidMarian17 - Joesette - marshmallowdeviant - GhibliGirl91 - Person3162012 - Buggus264 - Guest - bono-212 **

And a big thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read this story. :D Chocolate candies to you!

* * *

The throne room was bright and luminous. Two regal seats stood at the center of a raised altar, though only the smaller was occupied most of the time. He fiddled with the strings of his instrument nervously. Pleasing the woman was the only thing that mattered.

As she snapped her fingers, he put the bow to the strings and let the music flow. The sorrowful wail was deep, dark and foreboding, in stark contrast to the warm and glowing setting in which the song was played. As always, the woman's eyes drifted closed, as if her sight were a distraction from the experience of listening. Soon the player too was unaware as visions and memories were triggered by the familiar act of playing the violin. There was more to life than the Queen and her throne room, but he couldn't remember much about it. Places and faces came to him during the song, but they were nameless images with no meaning.

The song drew to a close and the player was released from the spell that compelled him to play, leaving him empty and exhausted from the effort. In this place, it was hard to mark the passage of time, but he suspected that the concert had lasted hours. The woman took her time in coming back to her present surroundings. When she did, her eyes were soft and without malice, like a dreamer freshly awake. He liked her best in those fleeting seconds before the awareness of her own cruelty reared its ugly head.

"Well played, my pet." she purred. "Your skill does this kingdom great credit."

He bowed slightly but said nothing. She never seemed to enjoy hearing him speak.

"I have a surprise for you, sweetling. Humans love surprises, do they not?"

He nodded and offered a smile which she returned. "You have been generous with your gifts, so now I'll be generous in return. There is a great ceremony in three day's time, and I think I'll take you with me."

Some distant association with the word 'ceremony' had the player frowning despite himself before he could think to school his features. She was before him a second later, pulling up his chin to look into his eyes.

"It's not a ceremony to fear. It's a party. A bunch of us gather together and celebrate for a while. Now doesn't that sound fun?"

He nodded.

"Good! And you will play, because your talent is worthy of the Seelie Court. Now go and tell Laurel of my orders. Have her pack you a horse. You shall ride near me."

The player ran from the throne room then, eager to escape before the King entered. The King didn't share his wife's affinity for music.

The halls throughout the palace were also luminous, though not as bright as the throne room. Laurel was barking orders in the servant's quarters, preparing everyone for the upcoming trip.

"Laurel, the Queen says I need a horse."

"Ah! Moving up in the world, are you, boy?" she said in reply. "Prepare the gentleman a fine horse, for he be the Queen's flavor of the moment!"

The servants snickered but complied. The player felt that he was the butt of a joke that started long before he came here and that would outlast him by a long shot, but he didn't bother to ask. He didn't want to know. He packed his violin in its case himself, not willing to risk the only thing that endeared him to the Queen to the care of someone else.

A bell sounded and everyone, servant and royal alike, mounted their steeds. The royals sat astride fine horses, but the servants rode on mules and burrows. True to her orders, Laurel had packed him a horse, and he mounted it with flaming cheeks. The other servants were staring, and a few bowed to him mockingly before the Queen stopped them with a cold glare. To add insult to injury, the player had not even eaten that day. He was sorely disappointed at the prospect of leaving the well stocked kitchens behind, but he knew better than to complain.

"Is the player really necessary?" asked the King, nostrils flaring in irritation. "You are not a child, so why not leave your toys at home?"

"He will play for us during the celebration, my darling. Can you imagine the sort of music_ those people_ will provide, if they even think to at all?" the Queen replied, pinning her husband with a shrewd look. She had him and she knew it.

The procession took off then, and the player rode a few paces behind the Queen. His empty stomach was easier to ignore thanks to the scenery. He had never seen the land beyond the palace before. The player did well on his horse despite the fact that it was his first time on horseback. The animal's sole focus was on keeping pace with the rest of the party, and it didn't need directions from the rider.

The scenery was brilliant and breathtaking. The palace grounds were surrounded by a giant canopy of apple trees, each one ancient and heavy with golden fruit. A massive gate lowered to allow the riders to cross a glittering moat filled with quicksilver. Something stirred the liquid as the travelers went by, sending metallic splashes of color into the air. Then they were out and free, and the player couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped him. The palace was closed and cloistered, and this new openness was a welcome change, even if the player dared not flee. Some deeper instinct told him that there were worse monsters than the pretty ones he had found himself with.

The landscape outside of the castle grounds was perfectly flat as far as the eye could see. Giant fruit trees dotted the land, and the human imagined that no one ever went hungry here, so rich was this land's bounty. As they traveled and the more civilized trappings gave way to rural pastures, endless crops of plants that looked a lot like wheat unfolded in front of the group. It was what the Garden of Eden would have looked like if Adam and Eve had had the opportunity to cultivate what was once their little piece of Heaven.

His hunger came back in the form of sharp pangs and weariness. He wondered if this group of unnatural beings would have reason to stop anytime soon or if he would be forced to make the entire trip in one shot. Without knowing how far they were traveling, it was a depressing thought. A golden apple hit him square in the chest and he caught it before it could fall to the ground. The player looked up, confused, and then saw one of the fey wink and grin. The tall red haired one that Titania hated. Why would Puck care to give one of her pets food? Maybe it was poisoned.

As if in response, Puck took another apple from his bag and bit into it, snapping away almost half of the apple's flesh with that one toothy bite. He made quite the show of relishing it, chewing open mouthed the whole time. All the apples in the bag were loose and free to roll around and knock together, so the chances of the player's apple being poisoned were slim. Gratefully, the human took a bite. It was sweet relief.

It appeared to be midday, and the landscape was shifting, becoming more wild and unkempt. The manicured perfection of the Seelie region was slowly being gobbled up by something darker and more sinister. Then the silence was shattered with a loud BOOM that sent the player's horse into a blind panic. It ran forward, heedless of direction or geography, and the human knew that he was in real danger.

More explosions erupted behind him, distant. Was the group already so far away? Were they under some kind of attack? Would anyone care enough to urge their horse after him? Only one set of hooves beat the ground. Suddenly the horse veered sharply, running straight for a tall rock face jutting out of the dry ground. The human doubted that they would survive the impact. He grabbed the reins and pulled them in, standing in the stirrups for leverage, but the horse's speed would not be checked.

The player closed his eyes in preparation for the impact. Something shifted beneath him, and gone was the warm leather saddle. An object hard and rough took its place, and the human opened his eyes to see that he was sitting on a log that was skidding down a paved street in the middle of a populated town.

A human town.

The bottom of the log was slightly flattened, and this kept it from rolling over onto the player, but it was headed straight for a gas station. The player gave the reins another pull and was rewarded with handfuls of splinters from the branches they had become. In desperation, he rolled off the log and hit the ground hard, the asphalt of the street biting his skin even through his clothes. He turned quickly and watched as the log continued on its crash course. When it hit a gas pump, it burst into a thousand tiny pine cones.

A honking cab pulled the player back to reality and he dragged himself out of the street, hardly registering the yelled insults from the cab driver. He sat on a small patch of grass on the side of the road and looked around as memories came back in a rush. He had somehow found his way back to the human world. His world. He was a slave no more. He had a name, an age and a history._  
_

_My name is Toby Williams, and I'm lucky to be alive.  
_

This dirty, mundane city street was novel and profound after the time spent in the Otherworld. The mental fog that had been a constant companion during his stay there was now gone, allowing him to think and make connections that he couldn't before. This world was in trouble. Titania was coming. Titania had finally found a way.

Their pillow talk had been one sided and free. The Queen spoke of everything because she had been so sure of his continued entrapment in the land of apples and sunshine. She seemed to derive a perverse pleasure in telling him about her plans for his people even as he shared her bed. Even as she used him. And that's exactly what she would do to this world. She would rule it, use it and abuse it until she grew tired of it or it died, whichever came first.

He realized that someone or something was watching him and he turned, ready to give whatever it was a fight. He slipped his scuffed violin case from his back and held it like a weapon, fully prepared to sacrifice the instrument if it came to that. When the watcher stepped closer, Toby was instantly repelled by the alien presence. It was other and foreign and _fey,_ and without an enchantment dulling his instincts, his first and only thought was to run away. He must run away from this unsafe and unnatural being. Toby grit his teeth and stood his ground, unwilling to turn his back even to escape.

The fey stood there and stared, eyes narrowing at Toby. When he put the violin case between them and began brandishing it like a weapon, he chuckled. "Fat lotta good that'll do ya, boy. I mean you no ill, so put the evil lookin' weapon away before someone gets hurt."

Toby let the violin case drop an inch, but he didn't lower it. This fey definitely wasn't like the others, so there was no threat of him taking him back to Titania. His face was a patchwork of crags and wrinkles, and he had a long scar over one of his eyes. But under all the haggardness and age were the angular lines that marked the fey for what they were, and his eyes shone with the same wildness that all fey had at to one degree or another.

"Quite the show. Those pine cones are bound to be a nuisance, but it's better than the gas station going up in flames. That bit of magic wasn't your doing, was it boy? You smell like magic, but you seem human enough to me."

"You _smell_ magic on me? How nice for you! Here's an idea, why don't you keep your nose out of my business?" Toby shouted. A few passersby were staring at Toby as if he were a madman, and he realized that keeping his voice down might be a good idea. The fey stretched out his hand and waved it over the small but rapidly gathering crowd. They looked at each other in confusion and then drifted off like lost puppies, unsure of what they had been doing before.

"They can't see or hear me, mate. Keep that in mind. You cost me my day's allotment of magic, so you owe me one. Now just answer my question: Did you pull that stunt with the log, or did you have a bit of help?"

"I didn't do anything." Toby replied.

The fey gave Toby an appraising look that he didn't like.

"Have you been_ gone_ for a while? To somewhere _else? _You're dressed awful funny, if you don't mind my sayin'."

Toby set his jaw and said nothing. He didn't trust this strange earthbound fey.

"Look, I'm not your enemy. You clearly have a thing against fey, which tells me that you've seen what they're capable of. I work alongside humans, trying to keep this realm safe from the machinations of_ them,_ in all their myriad forms."

"You are one of them."

"I_ was_ one of them."

Two others stepped out from behind the fey and stared at Toby curiously.

"We were wondering why your 'quick smoke' was taking so long. I suppose this explains things." remarked one. He was a tall and regal man with a well-groomed moustache. Toby thought the cane at the man's side was more of a weapon than a walking stick.

"Martin wouldn't let the meeting start without you." said the other. He was a bulky and muscular man with piercings everywhere. Like the fey, he had his share of scars.

"This human can see you then? Or were you just talking at him for sport?" asked the regal one.

"This one is Sighted, and I think he has quite the story to tell. It's all a matter of getting him to tell it." said the fey.

Toby turned and made to run away as soon as the talk turned to him, but a crushing grip on his shoulder stopped him. "If you're in some kind of trouble, you're in the right place. We can help." Toby turned and looked to see that his captor was the muscular piercing man. _Of course it has to be him._

"Yes. We can and will." agreed the man with the cane. "Just down the street is a meeting of our little organization. Come with us. You're more than welcome. Every single person attending has The Sight, just as you have. Imagine having a few drinks with people who have seen the things you've seen. In my experience, it's not easy to connect with those who can't really see what's going on around them. Finding this group of individuals is one of the luckiest things to ever happen to me."

"And if you need help dealing with a problem of a _special_ nature, the group will help."

"How big is this group?" asked Toby. His mind was already a few steps ahead of his current situation, and he was imagining how the police would react to the news that fairies were planning on conquering the world. Somehow, he doubted that they would give him the aid he needed. The only help he'd find through the proper channels would be a straight jacket and some meds.

"It's big enough, and we have a few different branches all over the world."

"I guess I could hang out for a few minutes." Toby told them, shrugging off the burly man's hand with as much politeness as he could muster. He didn't know what he expected to find at this meeting, but he figured he could slip out unnoticed once the meeting got going. He wasn't entirely clear on how Titania planned to achieve her goals, but he knew that he had to do something, anything before her armies arrived.

The four of them walked down the street, passing by an orange corner store that proudly sold liquor, cigarettes _and_ fried rice. Toby wondered briefly how the store fell into selling a combination of booze, smokes and Asian cuisine. He was almost tempted to go in and see what the food was like out of morbid curiosity. Toby had a great aunt who smoked like a freight train, imparting the ashy flavor to everything in her house, food included. Was that part of the appeal?

_One order of Smoke Fried Rice, coming right up!_

They continued walking, passing houses with wild color schemes like salmon and mint, and ketchup and mustard. Finally they pulled to a stop in front of a plain gray house that desperately needed a coat of paint. The gentleman with the cane rapped four times on the front door. A fey opened the door and held out his hand.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

The four of them, Toby included, called out the number three and they were ushered inside. The house was deceptively huge once they entered, feeling more like an airplane hanger than a small home. An odd assortment of humans sat on couches or talked around long tables. Adults, teens and seniors. The well dressed and the threadless. Couples, singles and even a few families. Humans from every walk of life sat and chatted about the one thing that united them: The supernatural. And interspersed among these humans were fey of all types. The people interacted with the fey as freely as they did their fellow humans, and Toby wondered why these fey were living here Above when they had such beautiful lands Below. It was perplexing.

At the center of the room, a gray haired man sat in a posh recliner, drink in hand. When he caught sight of the missing fey, he nodded and stood. All eyes immediately shifted to him and the room fell still. There were at least a few hundred people in this room, so it was surprising that the old man would notice the absence of anyone in particular.

"Now that we're all here, the meeting may commence. As you know, Halloween is nearly upon us, our busiest night of the year. Abductions are down, and this is good. Let's all drink to that." He held up his drink to the room and then took a long pull. Everyone followed suit. "This season has been especially quiet. There has been no sign of the fey hunters favoring one ford over another, leaving us at a disadvantage. I've talked with the council and we've decided that everyone should stick close to home this year. Our numbers are higher than ever, so each chapter should be able to defend their own territory easily. No matter where those bastards choose to enter, we'll be ready for them."

The room applauded and then fell silent once again. The speaker went on to welcome new group members, asking the names and occupations of each new face in the group. Eventually, his eyes fell on Toby.

"Welcome to the Organization. What's your name?"

"I'm not a member of the organization. I was invited here by a few of your members." Toby replied.

"Yes, indeed he was." confirmed the man with the cane. "We saw him having a conversation with Emery and invited him to the meeting on the spot. There was no time to explain anything to him, sir."

"And before that, I saw the human riding down the street on a flat-bottomed log that exploded into a mess of pine cones. A powerful magic surrounded him for a few moments thereafter. He won't tell me anything about it, only that he himself didn't do it, which I figured." Emery stated, arms folded in a gesture that looked almost offended.

"I see. Well then, introductions are in order. My name is Martin Rey. It's a pleasure to meet you." He stood and walked over to Toby, shaking his hand.

"My name is Toby Williams. Good to meet you." replied Toby quietly, feeling every eye in the room weighing him down with a heavy stare.

"We are The Sighted." Martin continued. "If you can see things that shouldn't be seen, you're already a member. With our Organization, we don't bother with cards. The proof of your membership is right here." He pointed to his eyes and a few of the others laughed. "It sounds like you've had an encounter with our enemy. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I'm sure all of us would be interested to hear how you ended up riding an enchanted log down the street. You're lucky old Emery was there to smooth things over with the people, otherwise you'd likely be in jail right about now. You did smooth things over, Emery?"

"I did, sir."

"You, my friend, are without equal." praised Martin. "So Toby, did you make a deal with the devil? Was it a wish gone awry? Do you need doctoring? I see blood seeping through your pants."

Toby looked down and saw that he was bleeding in a few places. The scrapes and cuts were shallow, but they burned like a bitch. He was fine for the moment, but peeling off the clothes and sterilizing the injuries would make him feel less than fine. He wouldn't think about it now.

"I'm okay." Toby replied.

"Bullshit, mate. You are definitely not okay." groused Emery. He plucked a bead from a bracelet around his wrist and held it up, lips working noiselessly as if he were praying or wishing on it. Then the wild light was stronger in the fey's eyes. He waved his hands over Toby's body and he felt the burning and stinging subside. As his body healed, Toby realized that he had been unaware of the scope of his own injuries. A few things twisted and righted themselves inside, and he was pretty sure a rib had been put back in place.

"Thank you." he said.

"Couldn't have you die right in the middle of a meeting." muttered Emery, looking tired.

"You people have magic?" Toby asked. He had seen the odd magical being marauding about in human settlements all his life, but never had he seen such a large display of magic Above before.

"Yes and no." replied Martin. "Humans have magic. The Outcasts do not."

"Outcasts? You mean, the fey?"

"Yes. The fey you see here were cast out of their realm for one reason or another. Emery here was once a healer. To make a long story short, he pissed someone off and as punishment, he was exiled. Having nowhere else to go, he hopped through a portal and came to our world, doomed to live out the rest of his existence as a powerless dreg in human society, sundered and shamed... disconnected from the thrum of magic. I've heard some displaced fey say it's a fate worse than execution."

Toby stared at Emery with such intensity that the fey actually took a step back.

"And yet he just used magic on me. How?"

"Humans have the power here, but we've figured out ways of sharing it. Those beads he's wearing aren't a pretty decoration. They are small tokens filled with magic."

"How many fey are a part of your organization?"

Martin took his time in answering, and it dawned on Toby that interrogating the leader of some underground organization probably wasn't the greatest idea. When the man replied, the patience wasn't gone from his voice, and he relaxed. "We have many magic users at our disposal. But tell me, why are you looking for an army?"

Toby drew in a deep sigh and steadied his nerves. "I have just escaped from the fey captors who kidnapped me... I don't even know how long ago. What date is it?"

"October 28th, 2001."

"I wasn't gone nearly as long as I thought I was, then. But I bet my mother is worried sick... I need to call her. The fey took me and called me a pet and a trinket. I couldn't remember my name or my past. All I knew was that keeping my master happy was essential for my continued existence. And when they compelled me to do something, I had no choice but to obey."

Emery was frowning. "Fey enchant the humans they collect to dull the revulsion humans harbor towards them, but that doesn't force their 'pets' to obey. Who was your captor?"

"Titania."

The room was still before erupting in laughter.

"So you're saying you escaped from a Queen? All by yourself?"

"Impossible! None could escape the reach of one as powerful as she."

"You're not even fit to enter the Seelie Court. Look at you, a simple human teenager-"

"Enough!" roared Martin, stamping his foot angrily. "I asked for his story, and you would do well to withhold your judgement."

The room quieted, though the fey stared at Toby the way humans would stare at someone who claimed to be Jesus or Elvis.

"Start from the beginning. You won't be interrupted again."

"I guess it all started when I began playing the violin. My teacher said I had a knack for it, and I enjoyed playing it. But as my attempts at music became better, I started seeing shadows in my vision. This went on for years, and after a while I didn't think too much of it. But then one day, the shadow followed me home. I saw it morph out of my closet just before it grabbed me. And then I woke up in another place."

Toby closed his eyes and the image of Titania's brilliant face appeared. Talking about her would be hard, he realized.

"Titania was there, and she ordered me to play. My violin was by my side, and I had no choice but to do what she wanted. The Queen liked what she heard I guess, because I played for her the better part of some days." _And the 'playing' carried on into most nights too, but I'm not telling these people that. It's none of their damned business.  
_

"How exactly did you escape?" asked a sickly, stick thin fey, disbelief thick in its sibilant voice.

"We were traveling somewhere for a party. She said I would represent the Seelie Court with my music. The King didn't like it, but Titania got her way. She always gets her way."

The fey were murmuring now. Martin offered nothing but his full attention.

"I was on horseback. We had been riding for a few hours, but then an explosion startled my horse and it ran away from the others. It ran blind and then bolted for the side of a mountain. I thought I was a goner, but then I was on a log, and I was in the human world. You know the rest."

"So you escaped from under the nose of Titania and her husband while they were traveling?" Martin asked.

"Yes."

"With all due respect, this tale is impossible!" cried a bent and gnarled old fey. "Titania wouldn't lose her senses over a mere explosion, and no one could surprise a Royal with an explosive spell."

Toby couldn't believe his ears. Even this group of freaks wouldn't listen to him? Bullshit. Bull-freaking-shit. They would see sense, even if he had to beat it into every single one of them. "I'm telling the truth! I stood in the palace of Avalon, I played music for the Queen, and I crossed the silver moat into the lands beyond the castle. I've been sheltered under the branches of apple trees so old and ancient that their years can't be numbered, and I've tasted a golden apple so sweet that anything this world has to offer is like dust in comparison."

"You've eaten a golden apple, mate? Seriously?" asked Emery. "The Seelie never share those apples with their pets."

"I was nearly falling off my horse from exhaustion. Titania forgot to feed me that day." explained Toby, feeling bile in his throat as he described his shameful position as an object rather than a person. "Puck noticed or something. He probably did it to piss Titania off."

"That does sound like Puck." Emery muttered. "Describe Titania for us."

Toby spent the next half hour describing every little detail of the fey and lands he had seen. The skeptics became more resigned and curious as the interrogation went on. As the questions drew to a close, his nose began to run and he put a hand in his pocket, looking for a handkerchief. His fingers brushed something warm and moist. The apple core. The apple seeds themselves were so bitter that Toby didn't want to eat them, but he had saved the core in case the fey failed to stop for a meal during the rest of their journey.

He pulled out the apple core and held it in his hand. "I doubt this will prove anything, but I have the core of the apple Puck gave me."

The stickly, sickly fey came over and took it, holding it up to the light. Then it ran over and turned one of the tables into an impromptu lab of sorts, shot glasses and wine bottles filling in for beakers.

"I will know shortly." it announced in its hissy voice.

"I already believe you, son." said Martin. "You're the luckiest human alive, I hope you know that."

"I am realizing it. But we're all in danger! Titania talks to her trinkets a lot, and she told me that she's found a way in. She's planning to lead an entire army into the human realm on the night of Samhain, whenever that is. It won't be a couple of fey hunters here and there. She said she's figured out a way to send an entire army through to our world."

Martin's eyes widened. "Are you sure, Toby? We've heard nothing. No chatter, no increase of enemy activity-"

"It's been too quiet, hasn't it, sir?" asked the guy with the piercings.

"But there is _always_ a sign, an omen to follow. It's always been that way. They couldn't stop the signs if they wanted to."

"I have something to add." said a nervous voice from the back of the room. As the woman stepped forward, her knees were shaking and she wrapped her arms around herself as if to keep her body held together. Her face was ashen as she came to stand in front of the leader of the organization. Her head bowed and Toby realized that she was crying.

"What is it, Nora?" Martin asked, turning his full attention to the miserable creature in front of him.

"I hope you can forgive me, sir. I might have seen something important recently. I shrugged it off as nothing, but if what this guy is saying is true, it was something after all."

"It's genuine! Real apple seeds of Avalon!" cried the scrawny fey as it held up five perfect, softly glowing seeds suspended in a shot glass.

"What did you see, Nora?" Martin prompted.

The woman seemed to gag on her words before finally spitting them out in a rush. "I saw- I think I saw the Wild Hunt."

Now everyone was staring at her as if she had just claimed to be Elvis or Jesus, and Toby wondered what the hell the Wild Hunt was.

"Nora..." Martin began in a low voice. "Either you saw them or you didn't."

"I-I'm not sure! I just don't know..."

"Tell us what happened, from the beginning." Martin ordered.

"One of the hunters was out in the fields, and he accidentally commanded the hounds to attack him. The story behind that is irrelevant to this discussion, so I won't go into it now. Suffice it to say, the hounds appeared. I saw them during the attack, but I didn't think of them as the Wild Hunt. There were only a handful of them there. But now I'm wondering if they could have been the Wild Hunt and if that was our warning."

"What happened to the hunter?" Emery asked.

Nora's lips tightened before she answered. "He lived."

"But what about the poison? Even they can't withstand the poison of the hounds."

"There are exceptions to every rule, I imagine."

"Quit being coy, Nora. You will tell us how the hunter survived." said Martin. He pinned Nora with a look that brokered no argument.

"I worked with another hunter to save his life. They had all the right potions and salves on hand to draw the poison out of the wound. He's right as rain now."

"And Sighted now, I reckon." added Martin.

"No." Nora replied quickly. "He isn't Sighted."

"Are you sure? Contact with an otherworldly poison should give someone instant Sight." countered Emery.

"I've been watching him for signs of the Sight, but he appears to be normal." Nora replied.

"Well that's all very lucky for these hunters." remarked Martin. "If this hunter you've been speaking of were to have the veil stripped away from his vision, he'd automatically belong to us, as I'm sure you're aware. But you know what I think? I think you're protecting him. That's the only fathomable reason you'd have to keep a potential Wild Hunt sighting from us. I know you, Nora. You're one of the most paranoid people I've ever met."

The woman said nothing now, but her eyes were wide and full of fear. Toby felt dread settle into the pit of his stomach as he digested their conversation.

_"He'd automatically belong to us."_

So there was no choice in the matter. If you were Sighted, you were a part of the Organization. That didn't set well with Toby at all. If they were such an awesome group, shouldn't membership be optional?

"And since you're one of the most cautious people on God's green Earth, there had to be a reason for keeping the Sighted Hunter secret. Now, why would you do that, Nora?" Martin asked, voice hard. Then he added in a gentler tone. "All I want is the truth."

"He's not yet 13." Nora whispered. "It might not be permanent. If he's left alone, his vision could fade in time."

"Ah, so there it is. Sensible enough reasoning, even if your line of thinking might have endangered countless lives." said Martin, releasing the woman from his piercing stare. "You will be dealt with later, Nora."

The woman trembled and nodded. Then she disappeared to the back of the room. The new mood in the room was palpable with fear and dread.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a little over 2 days to prepare for a potential full scale attack against our world. I suggest you make the necessary arrangements as quickly as possible. Do what you must, but keep in contact. You will all recieve instructions shortly." Martin announced in a calm, clear voice.

The others seemed to take strength from his resolve, and everyone hurried from the building to attend to last minute business. Even as they filed out of the meeting, many of the people were on their cell phones talking to parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins or friends, seeing if their children would be welcome to stay with them during Halloween.

"I'm going to have to ask you to stay close, Toby." said Martin. "Emery will get you set up in a hotel, and we'll be in contact periodically as needed."

"I need to let my family know that I'm alright-"

"That's what telephones are for. Tell your folks that you're alright but stay here. And don't tell them what you told us. Make something up."

"What exactly am I supposed to tell my mom? That I packed up and ran away to 'find myself?' She'd never forgive me."

"You could say you woke up in New Orleans and that you can't remember how you got here, if you're really that afraid of your mother."

"That story will work great until she insists that I go see a doctor."

"We'll draw up some phony medical documents that'll take care of all that." said Martin dismissively. "Quit thinking so small, my friend. Magic makes quick work of these matters."

Martin unclasped a gaudy bracelet made of technicolor beads from his own wrist and handed it to Toby. "Here are some tokens to get you started. Emery will give you a beginner's manual of spells to work with. It won't offer you much protection in the days to come, but it's something."

Toby muttered a thank you to the old man, even if he was seething at the idea of staying in New Orleans for an indefinite period of time. It wasn't that he didn't want to help, because he did. It wasn't that he was unwilling to fight, because he actually wanted to. It also wasn't that he was afraid to die, because he wasn't.

It all came down to having no choice in the matter.

The phone call to Karen went about as explosively as Toby imagined it would. Who knew someone could be joyous and murderous at the same time? And when Toby told her that he wasn't coming home, she threatened to come get him herself. After she hung up on him, he wondered if she'd make good on that threat.

Toby expected a visit from the local police after calling his mother. He had given her the name of his hotel and the room number, after all. But no one came, and Toby was reminded again of the confused crowd from earlier, wandering away without a clue as to what they had been thinking before. Absently, he stroked the beads on his wrist, feeling the magic there. How powerful were these people, and how far did their reach go?

Could it possibly be enough?

* * *

**Song in Title:** Hotel California by the Eagles


	21. Chapter 21: Magic Dance

**A/N: **A big thank you to everyone who has read, followed and/or reviewed!

* * *

Sarah stood at the mirror in the Queen's Quarters and wished more than anything that she could be a spectator rather than the host of the coming evening. She had only meant to steal a quick glance at the kingdom before getting back to dressing for the night, but a minute had turned into several, as stolen moments often do.

The Goblin Kingdom hustled and bustled and was bursting at the seams with new life and fresh faces everywhere. Colorful banners blew in the breeze, children ran kites down alleyways and through the streets, and dozens of booths and stands were being filled with all manner of eat and drink. If anyone went hungry tonight, they only had themselves to blame.

Tents and ramshackle sheds dotted the open spaces and lined the streets, each temporary establishment offering services, trifles or wares. A tattoo parlor, a haberdasher, a rug meister, a few psychics and several witches were preparing for a busy night, unaware of Sarah's gaze as she spied on them from afar. Dozens of half built game booths were in the process of coming together as well, offering games ranging from ring tosses to knife throwing.

The goblins, upon seeing what the fey had brought, were not to be outdone. With the Queen's permission, they had come up with their own game for Samhain as well: Chicken races. The goblins believed that they had scavenged the materials for their impromptu racetrack all by themselves, and they had. The creatures had never thought to question the unending supply of old barrels, wooden crates, nails and wire, and Sarah preferred it that way. The goblin made game had already gathered a large crowd of foreign admirers, and Sarah had no doubt that the races would be a popular attraction all night long.

The sky was turning a brilliant orange as the sun began to set. Once the sun was good and gone, the festival would begin in earnest. Sarah felt weighted, as if she were wearing one of those protective vests that dentists force their patients to wear during x-rays. An itch crept down her side and she moved to scratch it before realizing that she couldn't. With a sigh, she willed the mirror back to normal in order to contemplate her reflection.

"Sarah, what the hell is taking you so long?" whined Rhiannon as she burst into the room without knocking. "You look fine!"

Sarah couldn't help glaring at her. "You have the fashion sense of the average man, I swear. You probably don't even know the difference between ecru and taupe."

"I'm proud to say that I don't, Your Ladyship. I save my brain for useful information."

Sarah huffed. "Well, tell me you can _at least_ see that this outfit is totally wrong for this evening."

At Rhiannon's blank stare, Sarah sighed.

"I sees it, Lady." piped up Bubble, who was now standing by Sarah's knee. "You don't looks like you're going to a party."

It was true. The outfit Brighton had set out for her was a chainmail battle dress of metallic crimson, hot and weighty against Sarah's skin. The boots that went with it were also well made and strong, perfect for providing ample protection to the feet and shins in combat. And the long, black chainmail gloves that stopped just where the sleeves of the dress ended were also fit for a battlefield. In short, Sarah didn't like it. She felt improperly dressed. The most frightening thing she would face this evening was the dancing, and armor wouldn't save her from her own clumsiness.

The problem was, when Sarah opened her wardrobe, all her other gowns and dresses were gone. A piece of parchment dangled in their place, etched with delicate handwriting that said they all needed taking in. While this news was somewhat flattering to Sarah, she was mostly angry that she had nothing to wear save this inappropriate outfit.

"I guess I could pull a Godiva tonight. That would certainly make this an unforgettable Samhain." muttered Sarah, speaking more to herself than anyone else.

"What's a 'Godiva' Lady?" Bubble asked, looking intrigued.

"Never you mind." Sarah replied gently, having neither the time nor inclination to tell an impressionable little goblin the tale.

Rhiannon was holding back a smile. "Really, Sarah. This isn't that big of a deal."

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

Rhiannon turned to the mirror. "Mirror mirror, on the wall. Dress dear Sarah for the ball."

In a blink, Sarah was redressed. "Okay, now I just feel stupid." she admitted.

"Good, you should. You're in a world filled with magic, Your Worship. Might as well take advantage of it, right?"

"But dear God. I look like a Holiday Barbie!" Sarah cried, staring at her reflection in horror. A criminally poofy silver ball gown hugged the curves of her body tightly, and the hair at the crown of her head was so voluminous and high that it made her feel 10 feet tall. Big, bouncy curls fit for the cover of a blouse ripper romance cascaded down her back, and little silver baubles shaped like feathers, leaves and dew drops were entangled in her tresses as if she had been running like a heathen through a mystical silver wood.

"This is better than the alternative, right? Have a couple of spins in it to see how it moves." suggested Rhiannon.

Sarah twirled and found that the dress was gossamer light and easy to wear. "It almost feels like it was made for dancing."

"Well, I _did_ tell the mirror to dress you for the ballroom portion of this evening, Your Ladyship. This dress or the other one, it doesn't matter which, but you need to finish dressing quickly. It's absurdly rude to be late to your own damn party. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that, though. After all, you're so much older and wiser than I."

Sarah threw a boot at Rhiannon, which she dodged. Sarah finally decided on the obscenely bubbly dress, somehow feeling more comfortable in it than the red one. With her own outfit finally decided upon, Sarah took a good look at Rhiannon and Bubble, respectively. Bubble was dressed to the nines in a gown of what Sarah could only guess were chicken feathers, but Rhiannon was wearing the same old armor she always wore.

"Why aren't you dressed, Rhiannon? If I have to dress up, so do you!"

"Actually, I don't. No one expects me to go out tonight unprotected."

Rhiannon seemed almost happy about hiding behind her armor during a long night of masquerading and dancing, but Sarah didn't buy it for a minute. When Sarah was younger, she had always found excuses to dress up. Why should Rhiannon be any different?

"Who said anything about being unprotected? You can wear the battle dress our dear tailor has so generously provided for this evening's festivities. And maybe Brighton will forgive me faster if his handiwork is admired during your performance later."

"A battle dress? I wouldn't be caught dead in a battle dress-"

With a flick of Sarah's wrist, Rhiannon was wearing the outfit. Magic put the entire thing on her, mask included. Sarah hadn't even looked at the mask, but it was an ugly thing. It looked like a devil with a long, red hooked nose.

"Personally, I'd rather go without a mask than wear _that_ thing." Sarah sniffed. "Are all Samhain masks so ugly?"

"Mines isn't, Lady! See?" Bubble put on the mask that had been hanging around her neck on a string. It looked like your average masquerade mask.

Rhiannon took the mask off and tossed it on the floor. "I feel ridiculous! And I'm supposed to go out and fight like this? What if I trip and we all look like idiots?"

"You won't trip. It's a mock fight anyway. I was under the impression that no real force would be used."

Rhiannon huffed and glared at her reflection, but she said nothing more. Sarah silently hoped that her shadow would cheer up once the party got started, otherwise no one within a five mile radius would be able to escape the girl's vibe.

_Was I really such a brat growing up?_ Sarah wondered. Memories of ranting and raving at her stepmother over watching her little brother came back to her then, and she had her answer. Yes, she had been a brat.

An odd assortment of escorts met the women at the base of the grand castle stairs. Sir Didymus sat astride Ambrosius, and he extended his arm to Sarah, ever the gallant knight. The combined height of the fox knight and canine mount made him tall enough if Sarah leaned over a bit, which she did.

The troublesome goblin cook was greased up and waiting for Bubble, who took his arm with a shyness rarely seen in goblins. Sarah felt sure that if goblins could blush, Bubble would have been beet red. Sarah wasn't sure she approved of Bubble's choice in date, but she said nothing.

Ludo awkwardly extended his furry arm to Rhiannon, who stared at the rock caller dumbly before slipping her arm into his with a scowl. Sarah had a sneaking suspicion that the crooked bow tie around Ludo's neck was the only thing that convinced Rhiannon to submit to such treatment from her gargantuan best friend. Sarah herself had learned the hard way that Ludo didn't like clothes one bit. She made the mistake of conjuring the beast a construction helmet during the work on the arena, and three crushed goblins, one flung dwarf and six uprooted trees later, Sarah vowed to never make such an error again. So the bow tie was quite the gesture, and apparently even Rhiannon couldn't say no to that.

The friends walked together down the newly constructed promenade which linked the castle to the arena where the main festivities would be held. Sarah found herself enjoying the walk despite her nerves. The promenade was flanked by recently imagined trees that towered over the walkway and arched over it as if perpetually blown by invisible winds on either side. The trees arched together and blocked the view of the sky, yet Sarah swore she could see starlight twinkling through nonetheless.

As she gazed up at the glittering lights, one dropped down to greet her. Sarah reached out to catch it, but it hovered instead of dropping into her palm. The bright little twinkle light was a pixie, tiny, graceful and perfect. The little creature waved to Sarah and gestured up at the canopy of trees, clearly seeking approval.

"It's absolutely lovely! But are you sure that you guys will want to stay up there tonight? Won't you want to celebrate too?"

The tiny pixie simply smiled, bit Sarah's finger and then drifted back up to the trees. The bite burned and stung, and for just a moment, Sarah had the strange feeling that she'd been pixie bit before.

Once they reached the pavilion designated for the royals, the group split apart and went their separate ways. Sarah took her seat and waited for the others to join her. She was not looking forward to sharing the evening with the strange fey rulers, but she had decided to take Rhiannon's attitude. As long as the citizens enjoyed the party, the evening was a success.

Maeve appeared first, morphing from the shadows of Sarah's peripheral vision like a ghost. Sarah smiled and nodded in the direction of the Unseelie Queen, taking in her attire with some surprise. Maeve was wearing exactly what she always wore: battle dress, feather cloak and boots. It was anyone's guess if the Unseelie Queen was wearing a mask under that dark hood of hers, and few would be stupid enough to sneak a peek.

The Queen took her seat and sat stiffly. They waited together, awkward silence looming over them, but the Seelie royals didn't show. Sarah fought the urge to fidget or speak. The Unseelie child had been very clear about avoiding small talk. To Sarah's relief and gratification, she noticed that Queen Maeve was drumming her evil-looking fingers against her knee impatiently.

Finally, Oberon and Titania stepped into the pavilion. Both of them were masked, and Sarah had to wonder what possessed the Seelie Queen to style her hair so strangely. Titania's normally perfect brown hair looked like it was suffering the aftermath of a bad perm. In stark contrast, the golden streaks didn't appear to have taken the curl at all. The whole mess was pulled together in a ghoulish updo that would have done Tim Burton proud had the colors been less warm and cheerful. Titania glared down at Sarah, as if daring her to say something. Sarah immediately forced herself to think of grim, unhappy things like drowning kittens, lost puppies or butterflies with their wings pulled off.

"What the devil happened to your hair?" squealed Maeve, cackling in pure delight, her thin shoulders shaking with laughter. Titania paled and ignored the question pointedly before sitting down. Oberon followed suit, looking absolutely ancient and tired.

"Did your trip go well?" asked Sarah, feeling some concern at the haggard appearance of her guests. Titania's lips drew into the thinnest of lines and Sarah realized that she must have breached some sort of damnable courtly etiquette by asking such a thing. The question hung in the air for a moment before Oberon had the grace to reply.

"The journey was... long. But we're here now and ready to celebrate the beginning of a new season." he paused for a moment, giving the Goblin Queen an appraising look. "Did you ask out of concern, or curiosity?"

Sarah merely shrugged and looked out to the arena. The sky was glowing orange from the huge bonfires that the fireys had set burning all over the kingdom, and as the arena filled, Sarah saw a side of the fey that she'd never seen before. The normally uptight and mysterious fey were laughing, shouting and dancing about in a most undignified fashion. Judging from their rosy cheeks and wild eyes, the drinking had started long before the sun had went down. Yet even in their inebriated states, the Seelie and Unseelie kept to themselves, leaving the Goblin Kingdom's residents a group apart from the two others.

The physical difference between Seelie and Unseelie fey was distinct, even from a distance. Seelie fey were bright, colorful and provocatively dressed, while the Unseelie were dark, mysterious and striking. In contrast to both groups, the fey of the Goblin Kingdom wore a mixture of both dark and light colors combined with a smattering of browns inspired by the natural landscape of the kingdom. If the royals were in the dark about the Goblin Kingdom's numbers before, they certainly weren't now as the fey revelers readied themselves for the evening. It couldn't be helped, but Sarah hated it nonetheless.

A young fey boy of the Goblin Kingdom's court came and announced that it was time for the song to be sung. The little fellow used all the right words, and Sarah made a mental note to do something nice for him later. Sarah followed the boy and the other royals followed along. An amphitheater was magicked to pop in and out from the center of the arena as needed, and a large group of goblins were standing in organized lines on the main platform, eager to sing their song. Sarah had never heard the National Anthem of the Goblin Kingdom before, but the Unseelie child had, and she had insisted that it was the only proper way to open a Samhain held on Goblin Kingdom turf. All of the royals stopped walking when they caught sight of the goblin choir, and it took them a few paces to catch up.

"And now, the Goblin Basilica Choir is proud to present: The National Anthem of the Goblin Kingdom. Tankards held high, if you please!" announced the Wise Man and his hat in unison.

Sarah caught sight of Bubble amongst all the other goblins, and she smiled at her encouragingly. The little goblin looked excited and scared to death all at the same time. Then the song began:

_Beggars we be'd, and lonesome too_

_'Til the castle on the hill_

_Tankards empty, and bellies too_

_'Til the leader made 'em filled_

_Take flight, take flight!_

_Follow wing beats in the night_

_Take flight, take flight!_

_There be safe haven in sight_

_"Beg no more, and make your bed, and spin yourself some gold_

_Avoid the boot, avoid the Bog, and do yourself some good_

_Work hard! Keep clean! Be good! Be nice! And your hides will not be sold!"_

_Take flight, take flight!_

_Follow wing beats in the night_

_Take flight, take flight!_

_There be safe haven in sight_

_And that is how the Goblins' gots a kingdom all their own_

_The beggars chose to share their lot, and never be alone_

_In war or peace,_

_In feast or want,_

_In death or sickness too,_

_We stand together, no matter the cost_

_A kingdom made up of the lost!_

_For together we be found!_

_Now spit upon the ground!_

And every member of the Goblin Kingdom, goblins, creatures and fey alike, all spit on the ground in front of them in a strange show of tradition and camaraderie. The tankards had filled themselves during the song, and everyone took a long drink from their cups. The royals had joined Sarah in holding up their tankards during the anthem somewhat reluctantly, and they sniffed at the contents with some suspicion.

"To peace, to balance and to fairness above all. The Goblin Kingdom blesses our brothers and sisters of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. May you live forever and be forgotten never." recited Sarah loudly in the direction of the crowds. They all drank to the blessing of Samhain, and Sarah was relieved that she remembered the words correctly.

In the distance, Sarah heard Hoggle threatening violence to any goblin stupid enough to share their ale with the "honored guests." Sarah couldn't help giggling. Poor Hoggle had a long night ahead of him.

The goblins then proceeded to sing about ale, chickens and the great and terrible Bog. The poor little things did the very best they could, but it seemed that all goblins were born tone-deaf by default. To put it nicely, the choir sounded like a chorus of cats in a meat grinder. It was a great relief when the fireys took the stage and began beating their savage drums in a beat that demanded dancing and revelry.

"Well, that was something." Titania sniffed, staring at the dispersing goblin choir with unbridled disdain. "The sound of goblin song is unforgettable."

_So it begins._ thought Sarah as she rose to her feet. She made her way to the dance floor near the center of the arena and tried to steady her nerves for the Queen's Dance. It was always a dance between Maeve and Titania, and Sarah couldn't help but feel like the third wheel as they discussed and decided how to incorporate another queen into the steps. In the end, they chose to dance with each other as usual and then take turns dancing with Sarah, respectively.

Sarah watched as Maeve and Titania faced each other and curtseyed, each woman taut and ready to strike the other at a moment's notice, should the need arise. It was a sparring match cleverly disguised as a festive dance of goodwill, the queens spinning, twirling and wheeling around each other, never eager to leave their backs exposed for long. Sometimes they drew close together, palms upraised and touching, and then other times they drew so far apart from one another that it seemed like they weren't aware of each other's existence. A thick weaving of magic hung heavy over the dance floor, and it occurred to Sarah that there was another purpose to this show, but she couldn't guess what.

When it was her turn, she tried to remember everything the Unseelie child had taught her. She resisted the urge to scan the crowds for her, not wanting anyone to think she was looking for someone. The Unseelie child had made it clear that Sarah would not be seeing her during the evening, and finding her wouldn't be very helpful anyway at this point. Sarah covertly slipped off her flats and left them beside the dance floor, her voluminous skirt shielding her bare feet from view. There was magic in this dance, Sarah now knew. If her tinctures and tonics were magic, as she was beginning to suspect they were, Sarah thought that maybe keeping in contact with the ground would help her during the dance, just as it helped her during the making of the tonics.

Sarah drew herself up and felt the earth under her feet. She felt the connection between herself and the ground beneath her, and to her surprise, she could sense Maeve and Titania as if they were plants growing in her garden at home. It was a strange sensation, and Sarah hoped that neither queen had noticed. Judging by Titania's fairly benign expression, she did not. On a whim, Sarah tried to connect with the rest of the arena, and she succeeded. Each fey, goblin and creature became like the vines and stems in a massive garden. As she stretched her awareness as far and wide as possible, she felt her connection to the Labyrinth growing stronger, until it was as if she were standing at the very center of the maze itself.

Then she was in motion.

It was gentle, like a friendly suggestion, but something within the Labyrinth was guiding Sarah's movements as she danced with the Unseelie Queen. They twisted and twirled, came together and parted, and by the time they got done, the air was radiant with a third magic. Sarah's magic.

Then it was the Seelie Queen's turn.

Titania's movements were fierce and erratic, designed to keep Sarah off-balance. None of the Unseelie child's dance lessons could have prepared her for the onslaught of Titania's steps. However, the guiding force never failed her, even when the Seelie Queen subtly changed direction in mid twirl or swung her feet out in the direction of Sarah's own. The ceremonial dancing concluded with all three queens panting, spent and drained of their magic. Titania curtseyed and gave Sarah a sugary smile before shuffling off towards her husband, who had been watching the dance intently. His eyes didn't immediately shift to Titania as she approached, and Sarah wondered if he had been watching his wife at all.

"And now we're all sitting ducks." muttered Maeve quietly.

"Pardon?"

"We're all magicked out, and now the celebration can really begin. That's the point of the dance, you know. It's like pulling a lion's teeth and blunting its claws."

Sarah saw spots of bright and brilliant light flashing at the corners of her eyes, and the world around her was slightly blurry. She felt like a rag that had been wrung out, and the beginning twinges of a wicked headache were starting to form behind her eyes.

"What about him?" Sarah asked, looking to Oberon.

"Indeed. What about him?" hissed Maeve with disdain. "Oberon is nothing without Titania, and everyone knows it."

The royals made their way to the open box that was designed for spectating the matches between the finest warriors of the three courts. It was built to afford the crowd a constant view of the royals as the fights went on, and it also offered the royals a bird's-eye view of the crowds. Bets and wagers were yelled loudly between the gathered spectators, and even the goblins got involved in the betting process. Loyal and faithful, the creatures bet golden earrings and necklaces, chickens, pewter tankards and even armor on Rhiannon, the champion of the Goblin Kingdom.

"The stadium is filled with goblins!" Titania cried, staring down at the crowd in disbelief. The short little creatures had evaded the Seelie Queen's notice before, but as she sat above them, they couldn't be missed.

"And?" Sarah replied.

"What are they_ doing_ down there?" asked Titania.

"Drinking and betting their shirts, from what I can tell." remarked Maeve dryly.

"But-"

"Quiet, darling. The match is about to start. In the future, perhaps you'll think a little more about your choice of venue." interrupted Oberon smoothly. He didn't seem to notice the murderous look his wife was giving him, and Sarah felt sure that if the crowd weren't watching, Titania would have slapped him. Oberon was an enigma to Sarah. At times, he seemed like the world's biggest coward, and at other times, he seemed completely untouchable, unreachable and impassive, stoic as a marble statue. Maeve, for her part, was silent, though Sarah swore she caught a small sigh coming from her direction.

The first match was between Rhiannon and a Seelie warrior. The Goblin Kingdom had to go first in a show of goodwill towards the other courts. Being first put the Goblin Kingdom's fighter at a disadvantage later on, because it gave the competition plenty of time to study their fighting style, but that's the way it had to be done. The Seelie fighter was much taller than Rhiannon, and Sarah wondered how the girl would do against him. Height and bulk weren't always an advantage.

Sarah could tell that Rhiannon was uncomfortable by the way she stood at the edge of the ring, back ramrod straight and shoulders tense. The Seelie warrior, on the other hand, was relaxed and loose, clearly expecting little from the slip of a girl facing him in a red dress.

The bell rang and they both moved, drawing weapons and sizing each other up. Rhiannon held back and refused to make the first move even when the Seelie simply stood and faced her. Her opponent finally caved and lunged for her with his long, bone white spear. Rhiannon blocked the shot with her sword and used the length of the spear as a guide for her weapon, intending to clip the fingers with her blade. The Seelie fighter drew back before the blade hit.

As they fought, it began to resemble an intricate dance, and there were many moments that the Seelie warrior got close to Rhiannon without taking advantage of the opportunity to take a shot. Titania growled to herself and then to Oberon as their fighter proved more and more incompetent. For her part, Rhiannon was doing the best she could with an opponent who did little more than block her shots.

"Are you gonna fight me, or what?" Rhiannon finally yelled, spitting at the other fighter's feet in what must have been an attempt to goad the other warrior.

In response, he smiled widely. "Such temper. You should be a little kinder, Milady. I've went to such trouble to secure a dance with you on this lovely night of Samhain. I've begged, borrowed, cheated and stolen, and I've done it all for you."

"Puck?" Rhiannon growled, making his name sound like an expletive of the worst sort.

He grinned wildly as the warrior's facade shifted and faded. "Your slave, my dear."

Up in the booth, Titania was raging. "I thought you said you'd taken care of him, Oberon!"

"I thought he was suitably distracted, but apparently I was mistaken." Oberon explained hastily. "He is well within his rights to claim a place on the battlefield. He is a member of our court, after all."

"I want him gone, Oberon! I've had enough of his stupid antics."

"This isn't the time to discuss such things, darling. Puck's place in the court is not up for debate, and that's final. You won't speak of it again." ordered Oberon in a low, bored tone. Sarah didn't dare look away from the arena for fear of getting caught up in the dispute between them.

Rhiannon was speaking to Puck in lowered tones, but judging from the way she was frowning and poking him in the chest, the conversation wasn't going as well as Puck had hoped. When she slapped him, the crowd roared with laughter, and a few of the fey and all of the goblins began to applaud. Puck, ever the shameless ham, bowed deeply to the crowd, making Rhiannon fume and stomp her feet in rage.

Sarah saw Rhiannon's expression shift from indignation to shock in a split second, and she followed her shadow's gaze over to the crowd. A brown figure had an arrow trained on Titania, and in that instant, Sarah knew it was already too late. The magic dance had done its work and left Sarah too drained and powerless to stop the oncoming disaster. Oberon and Titania were so engrossed in arguing that neither one had the presence of mind to see the danger coming for them, and Maeve was sitting on the other side of Sarah, unable to see the unknown archer. Even the goblins and fey surrounding the assassin were oblivious to his existence.

Sarah screamed a warning, because it was the only thing she could do. The force of her own voice hurt her head so bad that her eyes closed, and for a moment, Sarah felt sure that she would open her eyes and find herself Above. Then she heard the sound of something whizzing through the air followed by a sickening thump and the tearing of flesh as the arrow hit its mark. The crowd gasped and the arena went still.

_This is it._ Sarah thought. _This is war._

* * *

Song in Title: Magic Dance by David Bowie


	22. Chapter 22: When Worlds Collide

**A/N:** I have made a playlist of the songs from this project on Spotify. Just search for username: thequietcorner. The playlist is called Powerless Project. Don't use Spotify? You don't know what you're missing! I highly recommend it. They even have a web player now, so no download is needed.

Much love to all of you! :D

P.S. I'm a Star Wars fan, just so everyone knows. :P

* * *

Jareth didn't know what to think of Aaron's costume. He liked the bold, black color, and the cape was something he could certainly appreciate, though it could use a bit of glitter here and there, but the mask was strange, and Jareth would know. He had seen many masks in his day. The skull-like face was artificial and soulless, and the sockets where the eyes should have been were smooth, dark orbs that were completely blank. The whole thing had an unusual, synthetic feel to it, and Jareth didn't get it.

_Why are humans so drawn to cold, unnatural things?_

Aaron pressed something on the chestplate and the mask began to wheeze and gasp, which only added to Jareth's confusion.

_And why would any red-blooded boy want to be an asthmatic skull knight?_ he wondered.

The Clearie brats had met Aaron at his grandfather's house, and they liked the outfit well enough, though it was obvious that they were also jealous of it. One was a pirate and the other was a masked character with a bloody chainsaw. Neither costume was particularly interesting.

"The owl is coming with us? Seriously?" snorted Jason.

"Yes. The owl is coming with _me."_ Aaron replied, voice muffled by the mask.

"Darth Vader doesn't have an owl, dummy." explained Jason as if it were the most obvious thing in the known universe.

"He does now." muttered Aaron.

"Hey, I have an idea! He could be my parrot!" offered Chris.

"Um, I don't think that's the wisest idea." replied Aaron quickly. "Given your history with him, it's probably best to keep your distance."

"God, Aaron! You're so weird! Like the bird has any flippin' idea who we are." Chris scoffed.

In reply, Jareth swooped down and stole the boy's eye patch. He flew through the open bathroom door and dropped it into the toilet. The toilet was as close to the Bog as he could get.

"Shit!" Chris yelled as he fished the small scrap of material out of the water.

Aaron's expression was hidden, but his shoulders were shaking. Chris squeezed out the eye patch and put it back on.

"Does that little shit have a name yet?" Chris asked. "I'd like to know what to put on his headstone."

"Touch him, and you'll regret it." said Aaron. "And no, I haven't named him yet."

"Why not? Feels like you've had him forever-"

"I'm waiting for my mom."

The twins quieted down then. Henry made them all stand together for a picture before going out. Aaron was head to head with the twins who once towered over him, and Jareth felt a small twist of regret. Humans were so fleeting. The human lifespan was over in the blink of an eye.

The little group set off with Henry's blessing, and Jareth could tell that the snake was following them by the way Aaron kept stealing glances behind him. Knowing that she was there but being unable to see her was unsettling to the former Goblin King, and as a result, he avoided her presence whenever possible. From what he remembered of the stories, Melusina had once been a quiet fey lady, beautiful but completely obsessed with the human world. The snake was a cautionary tale in the Underground. "Never get too close to a human." fey would say to their children. "Wouldn't want to end up like poor Melusina. Enjoy your toys and trinkets, but remember their place and yours."

Luck had certainly turned in her favor when Aaron had found her, though Jareth wasn't so sure it was a lucky thing for Aaron. Only time would tell. Being blind to his world and a bird to boot, Jareth couldn't do anything about the developing relationship between Sarah's son and the cursed fey maiden save hope that Sarah woke up sooner than later.

For such a poor town, Hawford really went all out for Halloween. Paper lanterns were strung all over the place, glowing dim black and warm orange in the crisp evening air. Each of the trick-or-treaters received huge fistfuls of candy from every house, and the adults passing out the candy were almost always dressed up themselves. Bowls of cream and honey were a common sight on the steps of most houses, and intricate jack-o-lanterns carved from pumpkins, turnips and potatoes were the norm.

_This town is warding and pandering._ he realized, surprised.

Humans still went through the motions of dressing up and celebrating on the night of Samhain, but they did it because of tradition. Modern people didn't remember how or why it all began, but these people seemed to know exactly what they were doing. Underneath all the laughter and smiles was the tension of a people forced to act a certain way.

And then a strange idea occurred to him.

_Hawford. Ford is in the name, isn't it?_

The fords were thin places Above that served as passages between the Upper and Lower realms. The fields were thin, but were they thin enough to be a ford?

_Could this be one of them? No, it couldn't be. Could it?_

The strict adherence to religion, the oil gleaming on the teacher's door frame, and now the overzealous celebration of Halloween all supported the theory that the humans knew that they had something to be frightened of, even if it was a nameless, faceless fear.

_But why would they choose to live here?_ _Who would have been stupid enough to build a human settlement right on top of a portal to an enemy world?_

It was ridiculous, yet it couldn't be a coincidence. As Jareth looked at the dirty little town with fresh eyes he felt a pang of disappointment. He had never been welcome to wander during Samhain as other fey were, so the Samhains of his youth were spent imagining what the thin places were like. What he had imagined was so much better than the real thing.

The streets downtown were lined with stands offering apple cider, old-fashioned cake doughnuts and bacon wrapped caramel apples. The scent of roasted meats hung heavy in the air, and small bags of buttered popcorn were shoved in the hands of everyone, man, woman and child alike. Judging from the foodstuffs, Puck had likely frequented this poor town during his Halloween haunts. Jareth wondered if the trickster was roaming these very streets right now, groping woman, stealing wallets and changing cider to vinegar in people's cups. Oberon usually "encouraged" Puck to terrorize the people Above on the night of Samhain, if only to quell his beast of a wife.

A few streets more, and it was clear that they were being followed. Jareth could see and sense these things, so fey hunters were ruled out, though he was sure the town was crawling with them as well if his theory were true. Whatever it was, it was quiet. If he hadn't had an owl's good sense of hearing, he wouldn't have picked up on it himself. Aaron stopped walking for a moment and then resumed just as quickly without turning back again.

_The snake must have warned him._ _At least she's good for something._

The group continued to walk and talk and trick-or-treat as if nothing were wrong, and during that time the amount of followers increased. The group only had one last cul-de-sac to go before their route led them straight back into whoever was stalking them. This neighborhood was the crown jewel of the Halloween celebration in Hawford, and the streets were filled with people of all ages dancing, drinking and handing out generous handfuls of homemade confections bound in plastic wrap.

Strobe lights were everywhere, and one house was completely converted into a dark haunted house. A giant inflatable black cat took up the entire front yard, and the sounds of screaming and cackling were coming from within. Aaron and his group disappeared inside and Jareth, having no desire to wing his way through the cobwebs, foam spiders and other gaudy decorations, perched in a tree and waited for them. The group ran back out a few minutes later, laughing and whooping loudly. Then they continued making their way down the street.

Once free of the cul-de-sac, the group said goodbye and split apart, each boy having enough candy in his pillowcase to last until the New Year. Jareth followed Aaron's dark figure and looked around for the shadows that had been trailing them.

They were there, off to the side, waiting. One he could have distracted, but four were too many, and something was blocking his senses. He couldn't smell the strangers, which made him question what they really were. Jareth readied himself and hoped that Melusina would have the sense to help. When the people stepped out of the dark and into a patch of streetlight, Aaron stiffened but said nothing.

"Hello, Aaron Hawford." greeted one, a female. Her voice was kind and reassuring, as if it were perfectly normal for a group of adults to hunt down trick-or-treaters in the night. "We've been looking for you. My name is Jennifer. Pleased to meet you." She held out her hand, and Aaron made no move to take it. She finally let it drop.

"Quite the haul you have there." remarked another, also female. "Gives me a toothache just thinking about it."

Aaron still didn't reply. He stood his ground, wary and leaning forward on the balls of his feet as if ready to run.

"We've went out of our way to get you by yourself." said a third woman. "Tonight is the perfect time to talk to you alone, without your grandfather interfering."

Aaron was still silent, and the artificial sweetness of the women was wearing thin. A fourth stepped forward and gave Aaron a broad grin. "We_ see_ her, just so you know. Your little bodyguard is unnecessary, so you can tell her to back off. We're just here to talk."

"There are other people like you, Aaron. Lots of other people can see the Unseen too. Wouldn't you like to meet them? Your grandfather is trying to keep you away from us because he wants you to be blind, just like him. But you don't want that, do you? We think you're old enough to make your own decisions. Come with us! It'll be fun." she entreated. "You can even bring your friend, if you want."

A moment passed, and Aaron was still.

"Seriously? You have nothing to say for yourself? Why don't you be a man and quite letting _her_ speak for you?" growled Jennifer.

More stalkers had gathered on the other side of Aaron, effectively blocking any escape. These newcomers wasted no time in grabbing Aaron, and Jareth swooped down to claw at the eyes of the boy's abductors. Some invisible force grabbed him in mid-dive, and then it was running away with the owl in tow. He pecked and clawed at her, but her speed didn't slow.

During their getaway, Jareth watched, helpless, as one of the humans pulled the helmet and mask off of Aaron's head.

And then he understood.

Jason Clearie was held between two strong men, and with a few judicious kicks to the groins of his captors, the boy was off and running, leading the strange group on a wild goose chase into the night. The haunted house had been the perfect place to switch places, but where was Aaron now?

A few people watched as Melusina ran away, but none seemed interested in following her. They had found what they wanted, or so they thought.

Melusina ran with Jareth across rooftops and hopped from tree to tree in the direction of the fields, which happened to be the one place Henry had explicitly told them not to go. The old man had been adamant, but there was no better place for Aaron to hide. She hit the ground and her hold on the owl released right at the threshold of the fields. Jareth flew in on his own steam, relieved that the ride was over. He was quite fond of heights and rooftops and open skies, but not as a passenger.

_Never again as a passenger._ he hissed to himself, feeling sick.

The field was transformed into the hunting grounds of legend. A cold, cruel wind howled over the plains, and dry lightning rended the air and earth, creating huge gashes in the ground.

Humans were running helter skelter everywhere, trying in vain to escape the execution ground. There were men, women and children, all bleeding and wide-eyed as invisible terrors hunted them. They cried, prayed and screamed in a variety of different languages, some Jareth recognized, others he did not. All bore the same bite that Aaron had suffered, but none of them would be lucky enough to survive. The horrified wails of the hunted would grow louder and higher in pitch just before the human winked out of sight, like a vapor on the breeze. Jareth was relieved that he couldn't see what happened to them after. That was the only perk to being blind.

It was the Wild Hunt in all of its terrible, fearsome glory, and Aaron had run right into it.

Jareth spotted him sitting in a ball near the threshold of the field. He flew to him and landed on his shoulder. The boy shrieked at the sudden contact, but then relaxed when he saw it was him.

"You shouldn't be here." he whispered. "You should go someplace safe."

Jareth pecked him hard, and the boy said nothing more. Aaron just stared out at the terror in front of him, eyes sorrowful but resigned. On the other side of the barrier, the stalkers were gathering. Jareth prodded Aaron and he turned to look at them.

"They can't get through." Aaron told him. "And if they did, they would suffer the fate of all those people out there. We're safe, for now."

They heard what Aaron had said, and without ceremony, Nora was shoved through the barrier. She landed facedown and picked herself up slowly.

"Ms. Locklear!" Aaron cried, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her to him. He faced the people on the other side, eyes raging. "What kind of people are you, anyway?"

"If you care about her you'll come out with her, won't you, Aaron? She saved your life once. I think you owe her a debt."

Aaron tried pushing her back through, but one of the others pulled a gun and stopped him. "She only comes out alive if you do, I'm afraid. No exceptions."

Something grabbed the woman then and began pulling her further into the field. Nora did little to resist, but Aaron fought it. It wasn't enough.

"Better hurry, boy. She won't survive in there for long." said the one who had shoved Nora through. His voice was smug and taunting.

"Melusina! Help me!" Aaron cried, digging in with his heels and leaning back. Jareth dove against the creature and he had the satisfying sensation that his claws had went through something soft and fleshy. Whatever it was fell back to lick its wounds.

"Melusina?" echoed one of the group.

"Fall back!" ordered another.

But it was too late. The small group of Sighted Ones appeared to be swept away by an invisible tidal wave that rolled over them from behind. Their bodies and limbs crashed together in a chaotic tangle, and they screamed and yelled as they were batted, swatted and flung here, there and everywhere. The few that tried guns or spells didn't get very far. Melusina struck them all with speed and accuracy. She didn't bite any of the humans, and she was careful not to kill them, but drive them away she did.

_Spellcasting humans? Since when do humans perform magic?_

Jareth had perched on Aaron's shoulder as the boy watched the one-sided fight. Aaron's face was twisted in an expression of fascination and horror, and Jareth wondered what he'd think of his little friend now that she'd been forced to show her true nature. Aaron shoved Nora through the barrier suddenly and began scolding some invisible creature.

"She's mine. You can't hunt her, so just go away!" he yelled, giving it a swift kick. Then Aaron's eyes flickered to the field and he gulped. He reached up, grabbed Jareth by the feet and shoved him through the barrier before he had time to react.

"Stay out!" he ordered, but Jareth would have none of that. He flew into the barrier only to find that it was now solid as a brick wall. He couldn't get through.

Aaron squared his shoulders and looked up at some invisible monster, jaw set and resolute.

"Haven't you tortured enough people for one night? What difference does one person make?"

Jareth's blood ran cold. Aaron had to be addressing the Hunter himself. The humans had been the much lesser of the two evils, but the boy, being Sarah's son and therefore an idiot in some matters, appeared unaware of that fact. There are some powers that aren't to be reasoned with or questioned. Aaron was the only human alive with an immunity to the hell hound's poison, but that would hardly save him if he pissed off the leader of the whole damn Hunt.

A moment went by before Aaron spoke again. "I protected her because I could, and because I owe her my life. I'm not usurping anyone's authority. I'm just trying to do right by a friend."

The sound of an engine was barely audible over the din of hunted human voices and the raging winds, and soon headlights were headed in their direction. Henry drove his truck straight through the barrier, ignoring Nora and the owl, and he pulled to a stop in front of Aaron.

"Get in the truck, now!" he yelled.

"I need you to get Ms. Locklear!" Aaron replied. "Take her someplace safe. I can't leave the fields! People are after me. Melusina drove them away, but they'll come back. Jason might be in trouble too. We switched costumes to give them the slip. I didn't know the people were that dangerous, or I never would have let him do it! What if-"

"He's fine, I'm sure. The Organization doesn't make a habit of killing children." Henry yelled, looking out at the wild fields with concern. "I don't think I should leave you out here alone, Aaron."

"It's the safest place for me right now." Aaron insisted. "Grab Nora and go home. You'll be safe there. I'll cut through the fields and meet you there."

"Why don't we just drive through the fields together? We'll all be safer in a group."

"Nora can't come through here. I saved her once, but I won't be able to spare her again. Melusina, follow my grandfather and protect him until he gets back home. Nothing out here is interested in me. Go!"

Henry threw his truck into reverse and backed out of the field, cursing all the while. The woman didn't put up a fight when Henry shoved her in the passenger seat, and when Jareth studied her milky eyes as they stared straight past him through the windshield, he came to the conclusion that she was absolutely and totally blind.

They drove away, and Jareth continued to try and fight his way through the barrier.

_Say the words, you stupid boy!_ he thought, feeling certain that Aaron had blocked him with his verbal command.

The boy didn't lift the ban and instead began walking through the dark mist in what may or may not have been the direction of his grandfather's house. When the Sighted Ones began regrouping, Jareth was forced to fly off, muttering profuse expletives at all of them in a tirade wasted due to none of them speaking owl.

He flew to Henry's house and found himself barred from getting too close to it because it was, technically, part of the fields. The powerful magic of the barrier covered Henry's home like a thick blanket, effectively locking the owl and the Sighted Ones out.

They were forming a posse below him at the gate, testing the barrier and coming to the same conclusion he had. It was solid. The barrier may have blocked his body, but it didn't keep sound from reaching his ears. He heard Henry yelling at Nora, and he heard the old man pacing and praying the Aaron would come through all right. And then he heard the old man climb back into the truck and turn over the engine, ready to go out and get the boy himself. Just as suddenly, the engine cut off and Henry was ordering Aaron into the house.

"Where's the owl?" he heard Aaron say. "He should be here!"

And then the ban was lifted, and Jareth flew over the gate gratefully. With Aaron safe and on his own turf, Henry walked to the gate and began talking to the small horde.

"You had no right to do what you did tonight!" he hissed. "We are not under your jurisdiction-"

"As long as you're not Sighted." finished one. "That boy is one of us. You are in the wrong here. Give him to us now and no harm will come to him. We just want to talk."

"He's not going anywhere with you." said Henry.

"We're going to give you three days to reconsider your position, Mr. Hawford. This little town of yours probably wouldn't appreciate being occupied by our forces, but I can assure you, it will happen if you don't give us your cooperation in this matter."

"Are you threatening me?"

"It's not a threat. It's a reminder that there are consequences to your actions."

Henry left them then, seething and grinding his teeth in rage. Jareth followed him back to the house and found Aaron with Nora, who wasn't responding to Aaron's repeated attempts to engage in conversation. Nora wanted nothing more than to be left alone, so Henry got her set up in a spare room downstairs, mindful of her new lack of eyesight. As soon as the door shut, she cried quietly and bitterly. It was a mournful sound.

Aaron sat on the couch in a state of dumb shock. When Henry came back in, he sat in a recliner across from his grandson.

"Melusina, huh?" he asked. Aaron nodded and Henry whistled. "I bet the last thing they expected was for you to call her down on them. How long have you known her?"

"Just since the tours of the fields."

"And already she's willing to fight for you. No wonder those vultures want you so bad. Where is she now?"

"She's off finding Jason Clearie. I won't be able to sleep until I know he's safe. What did those people do to Ms. Locklear?" Aaron asked in a low voice.

Henry shrugged. "They probably let her have the 'consequence of her actions.' My guess is that if someone doesn't use the Sight in a way they like, they take it away from them."

"So she's blind? How long will it last? Do you have anything that could heal her?"

Henry shook his head. "I doubt it. She knows more about that sort of stuff than I do, but I don't think she's in the mood to help herself tonight. She's in a really bad place right now. To be betrayed by the people you called family is a terrible, terrible thing, especially for someone like her. Especially tonight."

Aaron frowned. "What do you mean by 'someone like her'? People talk about her like she's different or something."

"Nora has no family of her own. When the Organization came and claimed her as one of them, she was thrilled. But then they kept her posted here, with all the memories of her family, and it made her a sad, lonely person. They should have let her move someplace new. A fresh start would have done her good, but she was more useful to them as a paranoid nervous wreck."

"What happened to her family?"

"They were all driving home from a Halloween party. Nora saw something dart in front of their van and she screamed, expecting that they would hit whatever it was. Her father swerved too quickly and he lost control of the van. It hit a tree. The driver and passenger were killed on impact, and Nora's two siblings bled out shortly after. Her sisters had refused to buckle up, too proud of their fairy wings to wrinkle them with the seatbelts. Nora learned later that the thing she had seen was something from the Otherworld. The van would have taken it out, had it been stupid enough to let itself get hit."

A muffled scream came from the room Nora was in, and Jareth wondered if Nora had been listening to the whispered conversation. When Henry and Aaron flipped on the light and entered the room, the window was open and the woman was nowhere to be seen. On the dresser, a buckskin pouch glittered with fine silver coins of Otherworldly making.

"Look out the window. Do you see anything?" Henry asked.

Aaron looked. "I don't see anything. But how? The barrier is so strong-"

"The barrier only protects us from things outside. It doesn't protect us from things within." Henry replied grimly. "Nora wasn't taken by the Organization. A fey hunter got to her."

Aaron insisted that he needed to go out and look for her, but Henry didn't want him to go back to the fields. Aaron wouldn't take no for an answer, and Jareth knew the old man wouldn't be able to stop him, if it came right down to it.

When Melusina came back from finding the Clearie brat, Aaron compromised and asked her to track down Ms. Locklear for him. The snake followed her trail and reported back to Aaron, confirming that Nora had indeed been taken Below. By the time she reached the end of her scent, the ford was already closed.

In the morning, there were still unwelcome people gathered at the gate, but the barrier held strong and kept them out. Jareth flew over the fields and saw that they had reverted back to their normal state. Not a single blade of grass was out of place. He had known that there was something off about the fields before, but he had never even come close to guessing the truth.

The way the fields stretched for miles upon miles one day but not the next.

The fact that time moved differently out on the plains.

The sensation of a barrier so strong that even he, an ordinary, average owl, had felt it sending tingles down his spine.

Aaron's incident with the hounds wasn't an example of poor timing or the universe conspiring to kill the boy. The hounds lived in those tall grasses full-time. The fields were their home. If anything, it was odd that something dreadful hadn't happened sooner. There are consequences to running through Elysium Fields, after all.

Jareth found the fact that the fields recognized the Hawfords as their rulers unsettling. Were human laws so binding in this realm that they held sway over magical, Otherworldly places? Supposed ownership shouldn't matter to a place as powerful as Elysium, yet the lands obey.

Aaron asked to die, the land sent hounds to do it.

Aaron ordered that Jareth be kept out, and he was barred from entering.

Henry wanted the Sighted Ones kept at bay, and it was so.

As he turned to fly back to the house where Aaron was waiting for him, Jareth felt an odd pull on his stomach, and suddenly he couldn't catch his breath. Something was attacking him and doing a fine job of it. The ground rushed up to meet him, and everything went black.

* * *

Song in Title: When Worlds Collide by Powerman 5000


	23. Chapter 23: Nemo

Sarah opened her eyes and saw Rhiannon standing in front of Titania, arms outstretched to make herself a larger target. An arrow was sticking out of her midsection. The battle dress should have deflected the shot, but it did not. Puck gasped and reached out to her before yelling and diving into the stunned crowd, pulling up the attacker by the neck of his cloak and unmasking him for the world to see. Brighton stared up at the trickster with terrified eyes, looking around in confusion.

"Look and see who dares attack my Queen! It's none other than good old Brighton, former tailor of the Seelie Court. And what a way to settle old scores, you rotten fool. You put an arrow into one of the people who took you in when no one else would."

Rhiannon swayed and Oberon grabbed her by the elbows, keeping her upright. Titania sat in a state of profound shock, unable to move even as Sarah and Maeve brushed past her to help the injured girl. Oberon steadied Rhiannon and helped her down the long flight of steps to the ground below. Then Ludo and Sir Didymus were there, and the giant scooped the girl up in one smooth motion and began carrying her to the castle, his arms strong enough and wide enough to keep her body straight. Sarah went with her friends, and the royals stayed behind to begin sorting out the botched assassination attempt. The drums started back up again before the castle doors had shut behind them, the celebration continuing.

"How can they just keep celebrating as if nothing's happened?" Sarah cried, indignation making her cheeks red.

"It's a good sign, Sarah. It means that they aren't holding us responsible." Rhiannon murmured weakly.

She was laid out on some cushions in the throne room because no one was certain that she could take a trip up the stairs. Hoggle came bursting into the room a moment later with the Wise Man.

"Hoggle, go fetch a doctor or a witch or something." ordered Sarah.

"I'm here to do what doctoring I can, O Queen." replied the Wise Man. He opened Rhiannon's dress and tsked when he saw the wound.

"Ludo, remember what we talked about?" asked Rhiannon as she sought his hand urgently. The giant took her hand and nodded his massive head. "Good. Don't be scared, whatever happens."

"The arrow didn't go all the way through, I'm afraid. We can't pull it out or break it, and the arrow is covered in some sort of enchantment. I don't think it can be conjured out of the body." the Wise Man said.

Understanding dawned on Sarah at the same moment as it did for her shadow.

_It has to go all the way through?_ Sarah thought.

She couldn't imagine how bad that would hurt. A painkilling potion was needed, but Rhiannon was losing too much blood for Sarah to take the time to make one.

With a growl Rhiannon rolled over, ignoring the protests of everyone around her. Then she grasped the arrow, drew in a deep breath and gave it a horrible shove. There was a shattering sound, and then the girl burst into a thousand brilliant shards of glass. An orb of light, bright, luminous and glowing, rose up from the debris and hit Sarah straight in the chest, disappearing into her body right over her heart. Sarah glowed for a moment, and then the light was gone.

Sarah felt tears prick at her eyes as the realization of having lost someone sank in, but then the memories of her shadow's life filled her, and she realized that she herself had lived that life. She was that person, and there was no one to grieve. The synchronicity that she had felt while connected to the golem through the locket returned, followed by a sense of wholeness that was here to stay. Yet underneath the sense of completion, she still felt lingering tinges of sorrow. It was a strange feeling.

Her friends were all staring at her, waiting for her to speak. She gave them what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Lady Rhiannon was... a golem?" The Wise Man sputtered. "A golem of_ you,_ O Queen?"

"Apparently." Sarah replied sarcastically, feeling rather impish. _Some Wise Man you are, you silly old fool._

"But she was always stealing my hat! Does that mean that_ you_ would steal my hat too, if given half the chance?" The Wise Man asked with an expression of scandal.

"Of course." Sarah assured him. "But not right now, you understand. Later. I have other things to attend to right now."

The Wise Man gasped and began backing out of the room slowly, both hands holding his hat to his head.

"I like getting stolen." offered the hat. "You're all fine and dandy, but we've run out of things to talk about!"

"Not a word about this to anyone, Wise Man." intoned Sarah threateningly.

"Not a word, O Queen!" he replied, turning and running from the throne room as fast an an old man could.

"As much as I hate to say it, I need to get back out to the celebration." Sarah told them. "I think that assassination attempt was a set up. I think everything has been a set up from the very beginning of this idiocy. Think about it! Titania forces the royals to come out here and visit. Titania gives us Samhain because she's such a sweet and generous person. Then during Samhain, one of our own suddenly attacks Titania in front of a huge group of Seelie and Unseelie witnesses. Coincidence? Yeah right! Her goal was to have the kingdom destroyed before morning."

"But why would she want the Goblin Kingdom, Milady?" Sir Didymus asked.

"Maybe we've grown too strong. I'm not sure. But I bet the last thing she expected was for us to pull off hosting a decent Samhain, and she definitely didn't account for Puck's stupidity. We were supposed to look like a bunch of unrefined savages. I was supposed to look like an evil and devious Queen." Sarah summoned a mirror and conjured a mask to go with her poofy silver white dress. It was a black mask with silver trim. "So if it's games they want, it's games they'll get. I want all of you to get back to the festival, but act like you're in mourning. Let's play this whole 'ultimate sacrifice' bit to the hilt."

"That_ is_ pretty devious of yeh, Sarah." remarked Hoggle, approvingly.

Sarah rubbed her stomach where the arrow had hit. "I might not be dead, Hoggle, but that doesn't mean it didn't hurt." She picked up the arrow and fiddled with it. The shaft looked like one solid piece, but it wasn't, and when she put pressure on it, a mechanism engaged and cruel barbs splayed out from the smooth arrowhead. Her friends gasped when they saw it. "To say it was painful would be quite the understatement. So no, Hoggle, I don't feel particularly 'devious' about this."

After assuring and then reassuring Ludo that she was now 100% fine, Sarah went back out to the celebration. The fights were nearly over, and Sarah presided over the remaining matches graciously. No one asked what had happened to the General. Sarah's mask and attitude told them all they needed to know.

The fights were much more interesting now that Sarah had access to her shadow's memories. Sarah found herself predicting the actions of the warriors based on little things like a flick of the eyes or a certain tilt of the body. The False Queen didn't have much of a life, but she did indulge in frequent sparring and combat. It was her one vice, and a pretty pragmatic one at that.

Unfortunately, Sarah's other self had never seen fit to learn ballroom dancing. Samhain ended with a masked ball in which fey of a certain ranking were granted a chance to dance among the royals as equals. It wouldn't be that hard to guess who was behind each mask, but everyone pretended that they didn't know. So Sarah led these lucky few to what she now knew was her least favorite room in the castle: The Crystal Ballroom. And then the pairing up began.

At first there was no music, but then a few Unseelie musicians shyly approached Sarah, offering to play if she would provide the instruments. Sarah used her mirror magic as covertly as she could and summoned two violins, a cello and a flute. Their music was beautiful, and the couples took to the floor.

A Seelie girl came to her and curtseyed, offering to sing with the Unseelie players. It was quite the gesture, and Sarah even said so out loud. The girl blushed and looked down at the floor. "It's the least I could do, after that earlier with my Queen." And then she was with the Unseelie band, singing sweetly.

A masked fey offered Sarah his hand and she knew she couldn't refuse. She reached out for the Labyrinth and found the guiding force. It helped, though it felt rather reluctant or sluggish about it. As Sarah obediently followed the steps, her mind was free to wander, and this, she found, was a bad thing. Now that she and her shadow were one, long buried memories were resurfacing, and they were something Sarah didn't want to face. Being in this room of mirrored glass was bringing some sort of memory back to her consciousness, but it remained unclear.

Her partners changed several times, and she was surprised when Oberon took her hand and placed his other hand on her waist. She immediately sensed his power, even through the pale leather gloves he wore. She had a momentary sense of déjà vu as she felt the supple leather against her skin, and she had the wild vision of herself dancing with another powerful man. There was one striking difference between the real scenario and the unreal one. In reality, Sarah was grateful for the barrier between her skin and his, but in the dream, the gloves were unwanted. Hated even. This dream dancer she was imagining herself to be wanted nothing more than to be skin to skin with her dangerous and powerful dance partner.

Sarah realized too late that Oberon had been speaking to her, and she asked him to repeat himself, thanking God that she was wearing a mask to hide her eyes and cheeks.

"Your people did a fine job of Samhain, and the protectiveness that was extended to my wife won't soon be forgotten." he declared.

Sarah nodded, not quite trusting herself to speak.

"Titania either over thinks things or doesn't think at all. Giving Samhain over to the Goblin Kingdom is one of the more impulsive things she's done, and for that I apologize. I don't suppose you'll mind the Unseelie Court handling next Samhain's festivities?"

"No, I most certainly will not!" blurted Sarah, honestly.

Oberon laughed, and Sarah was paired with another partner. She had expected Puck to rear his bright red head at some point during the dancing, but he never did. It made her wonder if his feelings for her shadow self were real, and that thought made her uncomfortable. She didn't want the moron grieving someone who had never really existed in the first place, but she couldn't exactly tell him what had happened, either. She also had zero interest in the trickster as a romantic prospect.

Not to mention the fact that she was married.

Remembering Daniel made her depressed mood even grayer. Once this night was done, she would resume her search for the rightful ruler of this land. And if she succeeded in her quest, she would spend the rest of her life Above, in a world where she was little more than a barefoot housewife.

This place was crazy, unpredictable and irrational, but she was worth more here than she was at home.

It felt funny to call Hawford home now.

_But home is where the heart is._ she told herself. _Aaron is there. That makes it home to me._

By the end of the night, Sarah had danced with dozens of partners, Seelie, Unseelie and Goblin fey alike. After the last dance drew to a close, Sarah bid everyone farewell. Titania wouldn't even look in Sarah's direction, and Oberon whispered helpfully that his wife was probably still in a state of shock. Maeve gave Sarah a curt nod of her feathered head as she exited the ballroom, and the rest bowed to her as they passed. The attitude towards her was friendly, and Sarah was relieved. Whatever plan Titania had set in motion was foiled, and the kingdom would rest safe in the morning when all the partying was done.

Tired as she was, Sarah didn't dare try to sleep. The Ikea room was something she wanted to destroy, and the adjacent spare room made her feel wistful and homesick for some reason. She left the chambers and wandered the castle, feeling like a ghost propelled by some sort of nameless longing.

In the throne room, Bubble was putting the finishing touches on sweeping up the mirror shards. Something about part of her being swept up by a goblin in a white feather dress struck her as funny then, and Sarah found herself laughing until she cried, and then she was just crying without the laughter.

She waved off Bubble's concern and fled to the rooftop to cry in privacy. The smooth stones of the roof were navigated with a practiced ease and she sat, high and untouchable. She sat like a specter with a mirror in hand and watched the day after Samhain dawn. She watched the hungover fey take down their stands and pack up their belongings and treat their fellow fey with suspicion if they happened to belong to another court. She saw the relief on her people's faces as the foreigners left their city, and last but not least, she saw the look Titania turned and gave the Goblin Kingdom as she began the long ride back to Avalon.

_She'll be trouble yet._ Sarah thought.

Ludo joined her on the roof and they both sat for a long time, silent.

"Sawah sad?" Ludo asked.

"Yes, Ludo. Sarah is sad." she replied.

"Sawah not always sad. Be happy, Sawah." he entreated.

"I'll certainly try, my friend."

Down below, Sarah could see Hoggle and Sir Didymus, even without a mirror. Her dear friends always thought she couldn't see them, but she could. If she pretended that they weren't down there, they couldn't ask her to explain the sorrow she felt sometimes. It was easier that way.

Three goblin guards were running to Sir Didymus then, and Sarah magicked herself and Ludo down to see what was going on.

"The prisoner! He's gone and done hisself in, he has!" reported one.

"Yes, O Queen. The tailor hanged hisself by the neck in his cell." confirmed the other.

"Show me." ordered Sarah.

The cell was furnished with a stool and a low hanging beam, and the goblin guards hadn't thought to take away the tailor's belt.

"Tell me, would you fellows mind too much if we appointed some fey guards to help make your jobs a little easier?" Sarah asked. Clearly goblins lacked the common sense needed to serve and protect a kingdom of more than just other goblins.

"Nows that you mention it, Queeny, that would be awful nice."

"Yeah. Them pretty folk should pulls their weight just like alls the rest!"

"Sir Didymus, would you mind taking care of that?" asked Sarah. She pitied the Goblin King, really. If she found him, he would inherit a huge mess of her own making. It was hardly fair.

"Consider it done, Fairest One." declared the fox knight proudly. "Come with me, Friend Hoggle."

"Whattya needs me for? I'd like teh get some rest, if you don't mind-"

"You can sleep later, dwarf! I need your judgement as I select candidates. I can always count on you to think the worst of people."

Sarah cut down the body and laid it out respectfully. In her mind's eye, she kept seeing the tailor's expression. It wasn't the face of a would-be killer. There was confusion and bewilderment. Or perhaps disbelief. Sarah couldn't decide which, but she did feel great pity at the way his life had ended.

The fey didn't share Sarah's attitude, and it was only her standing as their Queen that forced them to prepare a proper burial for their fellow creature when they were already busy mourning Rhiannon. By the end of the day, the tailor was six feet under, along with any insights as to why he targeted the Seelie Queen. The shards that had once been the mirror golem had been swept into an urn and the whole thing was burned in a massive funeral pyre shortly after. Sarah didn't want the people to mourn Rhiannon, but the shadow was gone for good, and there was no way to clue the subjects in without it potentially getting back to the other courts that the whole thing had been a ruse. She felt guilty, but in the great scheme of things, it was for their own good.

The tailor's small home was searched and Sarah's gowns and dresses were found sliced to ribbons all over the place. The logo from her t-shirt had been carefully cut from the rest of the shirt and nailed to the wall, but nothing else, not even the Hello Kitty pajama bottoms, had escaped the scissors.

It didn't matter much now that Sarah had the ability to conjure herself outfits, but it felt like a strangely personal attack, and she was more than grateful to leave the rest of the searching to a few of the fireys and the overly chatty blue worm.

Sarah didn't bother with dinner, opting to brew an awakening potion and review the books at the library instead. Bubble scolded, as well as a young goblin maid could, but the idea of eating didn't appeal to Sarah at all. She still had the twisting, sickening sensation of grief in her stomach, and food wouldn't set well on that at all. She read and reread, using her shadow's memories to cast new light on the passages, but there was still little to go on.

The Labyrinth called out to her suddenly, but Sarah couldn't sense anything amiss. She conjured herself to the heart of the maze and stood looking around, wondering why it had called to her. As she took in the breeze and moonlight, she felt some of her heartsickness lift. She strolled then, content to leave her search until the morning, when she could look on it all with fresh eyes.

The maze was beautiful at night. The stars glittered in the heavens above and she had an almost memory of someone who had the sky in their eyes. It wasn't Daniel. His eyes were the ocean. The wild eyes she remembered were different shades of the sky, like twilight and midnight together in one face. Different yet the same. Disconcerting yet appealing. Mismatched but perfect.

She forgot them by the time she turned a corner and she sighed, surprised by the sudden return of her discontent.

_What was I thinking about? I can't even remember._ Sarah thought.

She wandered through the maze, never quite getting lost but never really sure of where she was going. She came to a stop at the base of a massive tree that was older than her by a few hundred years, judging by the width of the trunk. Suddenly feeling weighted and aged, she sat against it, leaning back until her head hit the wood.

"I wish I knew what was wrong with me." she whispered. If she didn't somehow pull herself together, Aaron wouldn't benefit from having her back. She thought about recreating Rhiannon, or rather something like her, but that seemed cheap and pointless. Whatever this pain was, she had to deal with it. She had run from it long enough.

Something fell out of the tree and hit Sarah in the head. It was hard and heavy and Sarah cursed about it in a most unladylike fashion as she rubbed the spot where it had hit. Then she picked it up and stared at it.

It was an orb of some sort, clear and empty. It seemed somewhat familiar, and she battled with her mind to release the memory. Snow globes, Christmas ornaments and jugglers came to mind, but she knew that wasn't what she was looking for.

She rested under the shadow of the Wishing Tree until the moon was high up in the sky. Then she stood and conjured herself back to the castle. Her intended destination had been the throne room, but she found herself standing in the crystal ballroom instead. She was almost afraid to look around the room without dozens of dancing couples to distract her.

Dancing with Oberon had been something else, and it reawakened her deeply buried desire to love and be loved by someone like that. Like that, but not him. To be attracted to Oberon seemed wrong, and not just because both of them were married. Her heart was already full.

But filled by who?

Someone held her heart, and it wasn't Daniel.

Her first love, a love long lost.

Sarah stood in the middle of the beautiful ballroom in her gossamer dress made for dancing and began going through the motions of a dance with an invisible partner, her right hand extended into the grasp of an unreal dancer and the left holding the empty crystal ball. Words came to her then, little snippets of a song heard long ago.

_"When the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you."_

No, the pain made no sense. Why would love hurt so bad? Why couldn't she remember this person that she had loved and lost? Had he died? Did he reject her? Did she reject him?

_"Wasn't too much fun at all."_

As wonderful as magic and mirrors and spellcasting were, she'd give it all up for just a moment of clarity and understanding. To remember! That's all she wanted. An affection this potent deserved recollection.

_"Such a sad love."_

As Sarah allowed the torrents of emotion to sweep through her mind and her heart, something fought back, dulling her thoughts and senses until she couldn't recall her name or remember why she was dancing by herself in a strange mirrored room. She forgot Aaron and Daniel and Toby and the Goblin Kingdom... everything but the fact that she loved someone.

The crystal burned in her palm, but she didn't drop it. An image of an owl flashed through her disoriented mind but it made little sense out of context.

_"You're him, aren't you? You're the Goblin King."_ she heard herself say, voice young and distant as a dream.

_"Sarah, don't defy me."_ he said in a voice that suggested he fancied defiance.

"_You're no match for me, Sarah."_ the voice lied in velvet tones.

_"I ask for so little."_ he implored, sounding desperate.

The voice sent chills down her spine and as her eyes drifted shut, she saw his mismatched eyes inches from hers as they stood dancing chest to chest on the ballroom floor, once upon a dream. She flexed her outstretched hand but felt it to be full of nothing.

"Oh, how I wish you were here with me right now, my almost lover." she whispered. "It may have been nothing more than a game for you, but for me it was so much more! How could you play with my emotions like that, you horrible rat? I'm ruined forever, and it's all because of you, Jareth!"

Something shifted in the room, but Sarah didn't dare open her eyes. Instinctively, she flexed her hand and felt the reassuring resistance of someone else's hand against hers. The hand that once held the crystal now rested against something solid, warm and powerful, and Sarah became hyper aware of a large hand resting on her side as if it belonged there. A magic wild and dangerous thrummed against her body, barely restrained by the smooth leather gloves and layers of clothing between them.

Sarah gasped as the power of the land shifted away from her, and her knees went weak from the loss. Her dance partner's hold on her kept her upright, and then she was steadying him as he lost his balance, the power that had been her constant companion hitting him in a massive rush.

She opened her eyes and saw him, really saw him. His eyes were shut and Sarah felt the lands restoring themselves to his rightful rule. She took advantage of his disorientation to study his face and the overwhelming urge to press her lips to his washed over her.

Beautiful didn't even begin to describe him.

That thought was in her mind when his eyes opened and met hers. Her memory hadn't done them justice, and as they gazed down at her with a predatorial glow, she recalled her first meeting with him after he burst into her parents' room in the form of an owl...

In the form of an owl.

Her mind was perfectly clear now, free of whatever enchantment had been muddling it, and she just knew. He was the owl.

"The owl was you!" Sarah gasped, still held in Jareth's arms.

A smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Well hello to you too, precious."

* * *

Song in Title: Nemo by Nightwish


	24. Chapter 24: Let's Dance

**A/N:** Honoria has a point. It's dreadfully slow going and without Jareth as himself, there is no compelling reason to read. I DID want to post these chapters weekly, since I'm about to be incredibly busy and mostly unable to write, but oh well. I'll do what I can to find the time to write.

Much love to you all. I appreciate every single one of you. :)

* * *

Jareth never hit the ground. The anticipated collision with the dirt and grass below never happened, and instead, the pulling and tugging increased until it pulled him out of existence entirely.

Without a corporeal form he traveled elsewhere until his feet found solid ground once more. He was standing tall, and his body felt off balance, foreign and strange. But also familiar. It dawned on him that he was somehow in his true form: wingless, beakless and without talons.

_Is this some sort of damnable dream?_ he asked himself, not daring to believe that his curse was over.

His arms held a woman tightly against him, and even without opening his eyes, he knew exactly who it was. Her every curve had been burned into his body's memory like a retina seared with the shape of a brilliant light.

_Sarah._

_It is only a dream._ he realized. Something had knocked him out in the field and he was dreaming of her. Dreaming of the moments he stole during her thirteen hour race through his heart.

She tightened her grip on his hand and the movement of her skin against his gloved hand sent shivers down his spine. If her touch was so potent with something between them, Jareth couldn't imagine how it would feel to really touch and be touched by her. Would he die right then and there? What a lovely way to go that would be.

Sarah gasped, lurching forward, unsteady on her feet. Jareth gripped her tighter as a tremor rocked her body and before he had time to question, his long absent powers shifted from her to him, flaring to life, filling him to the point of breaking. He found himself hissing in pain as the lands recognized him and began communicating with him, overwhelming his every sense. He held her and she gripped him as the uncomfortable transition took place. After a few heartbeats, he could breathe again.

He could think again.

His mind reeled as he tried to make sense of everything the lands and the Labyrinth were telling him. Samhain. Sarah acting as the Goblin Queen. The Goblin Kingdom as a refuge for exiled fey. And more than anything, the fact that Sarah traveled here during her episodes Above. Yet according to the images given to him by the Labyrinth, Sarah was never completely absent from the Underground. How was that possible? He had seen her living Above with his own eyes.

When he realized that Sarah was really pressed up against him, his eyes opened to drink her in. She was wearing the silver white ballgown he had conjured for her so many years ago, and it looked better on her now than it did then. The lacy, gauzy material clung to her form in all the right ways. In his owl aspect, he hadn't really been able to appreciate just how much dear Sarah had changed, but as he gazed at her now, desire set his blood on fire.

When Jareth's eyes had opened, she was already studying him, and her eyes were dark with something unspoken but fierce. Then recognition dawned and the darkness lifted.

"The owl was you!" she shouted loudly, staring at him with green eyes wide.

"Well hello to you too, precious." he said. Leave it to Sarah to blurt out the obvious.

She moved to pull away, but he tightened his grip. He'd be damned if he relinquished his hold on her now. He would probably never hold her in his arms again, so he was determined to enjoy it while he could.

"Oh God." Sarah whispered, paling.

Jareth smiled without warmth. "What? Wouldn't have given your mortal enemy care and shelter if you had known?"

To his discomfort, tears were forming at the corners of her eyes. He never cared for tears. They always made him uncomfortable. Sarah's tears were much worse. They made him want to seep through a crack in the floor or kill something, depending on the cause.

"No. That's not it." she explained. Her cheeks pinked up and Jareth realized that she was embarrassed. "If I could have chosen anyone to see me at my worst, you would have been at the very bottom of the list."

"Oh? I see. Well, I seem to remember a great many embarrassing moments that you got to witness yourself, my dear. Does the word 'gravy' ring any bells for you, precious? I believe you and your charming son both nearly choked me to death with the infernal substance. I wasn't exactly at my best then myself." Jareth sniffed.

Sarah was trying very hard not to smile, and it dawned on him that the new-found feeling of friendship might be one-sided on his part. She didn't know how to behave in his presence, and he sought to rectify that immediately.

He began moving and she followed him easily, both swaying in a gentle dance.

"I must admit, I've been awfully tempted to drop something hard and heavy on dear Daniel's head." Jareth told her. "The tea kettle is always my first choice. Filled, of course."

Sarah's eyes widened and she giggled softly, clearly getting a mental picture.

"Now that I have my powers back, I think he deserves a vacation. The Bog is hideous this time of year. What do you think?"

"It wouldn't be right for me to plot against the father of my son. With that said, the idea isn't disagreeable to me, and if you were to do something like that... I wouldn't mind." Sarah admitted boldly. "Just please don't kill him." she added.

Jareth gave her a pained expression. "Sarah, why ever not?"

"Because he's not worth it." she replied smoothly.

"Well now, there's something we can both agree on. He's worthless."

Sarah was staring at him intently, as if she were trying to puzzle him out. "So all this is real then? Or is it all some sort of strange fantasy I've made up?" she asked.

"You're asking me? If you dreamed me up, and let's face it, precious, that would be quite the feat even for someone as imaginative as you, could I be trusted to tell you the truth?" he asked, curious.

"Yes." she replied immediately. "You would."

"Ah. And how do you figure that?"

"You would have nothing to gain by being dishonest. If you aren't real, you aren't attached to the idea of being a Self among other separate Selves. Unreal beings are always very honest about what they are unless ordered to act otherwise." Sarah explained.

"I'm quite attached to the idea of being myself, and the thought of being anything less than real is borderline offensive." Jareth replied.

Sarah nodded, satisfied. "Then this world is real."

"Very good, precious." he praised. "Quite the leap in reasoning there."

Sarah bit her bottom lip and looked at him with a worried expression. Unconsciously, she gripped his hand tighter, some part of her seeking strength before speaking. "I thought this world was a recurring delusion... some insane fantasy that I escaped to when things got rough. When I didn't know, I made some changes-"

"Indeed." Jareth interrupted. "You've been quite the busy bee, dear Sarah."

"I'm so sorry-"

"For ruling my kingdom when I was... indisposed? For doing the best you could with what little knowledge you had to work with? If you're going to apologize, Sarah, it needn't be for that."

She was more than welcome to apologize for rejecting him, but the rest of this mess he himself took responsibility for, as any good King should.

"Are you sure?"

"Quite."

They continued to shuffle around the ballroom slowly.

"I can't figure how it works, I'm afraid." Jareth admitted as he released Sarah's hand and conjured a crystal. There in the center was Sarah's body at the care facility. "Your body is still Above. So how are you also here? You feel solid and real enough to me."

He dispelled the crystal and took her hand again firmly. She didn't protest.

"I have no idea." Sarah admitted. "I really thought this was all a dream, but now you're here, and for some reason I can think clearly again. I can remember everything during my life Above and my life Below, but it isn't helping me understand any of this much."

He nodded, satisfied that she was indeed ignorant of the cause of her peculiar predicament. He had an uncomfortable theory forming in his mind, one that he would never share with her, that explained things. Jareth had given the girl power over the Labyrinth, and as a consequence, the Labyrinth was intimately connected to her as well. He guessed that after his banishment, the Labyrinth had pulled the girl Under in repeated attempts to get Sarah to remember him. That was the point and purpose of keeping part of himself hidden in the maze, after all. It made him much harder to kill. He never thought that his heart could withstand something as permanent as a Blotting, but it had.

This was dangerous knowledge that he was happy to keep to himself.

The fact that the lands had chosen a mortal girl as his successor so soon after his demise needled at him slightly, and he felt an irrational sense of betrayal that he shoved down quite effectively. The lands might not be as loyal as he'd like, but they did what was necessary for survival. He couldn't fault the kingdom for that.

"Kingdoms are very needful things, Sarah. I should know. The land wouldn't have survived without a ruler during your life Above, and from what the land is telling me, there was never any real gap in leadership. So tell me, who rules while you're Above?"

"Um, I do. Or did, in a way." Sarah answered, looking extremely uncomfortable. "I created a shadow self to rule the kingdom so I could go home. I thought this world was a delusion without you to give it a sense of reality, so I was freer with my powers than I would have been otherwise."

"So you're telling me that you, an untrained, inexperienced mortal woman, created a golem? Forgive me if I find that hard to believe."

"Ask your subjects if you don't believe me." Sarah snapped. "I'd try conjuring one for you, but I'm too damn tired at the moment and the first one was an accident anyway."

He realized belatedly that if Sarah had acclimated well to this realm and if she was indeed a user of magic like she was suggesting, he likely just insulted her pride quite thoroughly.

Her reaction was a sign that the fear was leaving, and Jareth found this promising.

"I need to talk to you before you go back Above, precious." Jareth said calmly. "Aaron is fine and well, but he's in some real trouble."

"What's wrong?"

"A group of people are essentially trying to run off with him. Your son is a Sighted One, and they claim any human with the ability to see the supernatural as one of their own. Aaron is currently living with his grandfather, and the old man is doing a good job of keeping the boy away from them, but they're in a holding pattern that simply can't last. Eventually, that organization will take Aaron."

"How can they do that? They can't get away with it-"

"They can and will unless you stop them." Jareth interrupted. "I've seen them use magic, Sarah. I'm sure they work outside of the laws of your human world."

"He's just a little boy. What do they want with him?"

"I'm not sure, but from what I've seen of them, it's best if we never find out."

"What can I do? I'm powerless Above-"

"Aaron is not yet 13. You can wish him here. If you send him to me, you both will be under my power in the Underground, and you'll be safe."

Sarah looked taken aback, and Jareth thought that perhaps she didn't trust him enough to do what needed to be done.

"I'll swear, if that makes you feel safer. My kind-"

"-can't swear falsely." she finished. "Oh, Jareth. I wouldn't ask that of you. I know you're in earnest. But why? Why would you be willing to do that for us?"

_Because I loved you, love you and will always love you._ he thought wistfully._ Why did my heart have to choose someone who won't return that affection? Such a sad, pathetic love._

"Crazy as it sounds, I've grown fairly fond of the boy. He's decent, as humans go. And you, precious. I'm almost duty bound to aid you in any way I can. You are the Lady of the Labyrinth, after all." Jareth replied, keeping his own feelings out of the matter.

"Am I?" Sarah asked softly. "Is that a real title, or did you make it up?"

"You see, Sarah dear, that's one of the perks of being King." Jareth told her with an impish smile. "What I say goes. So it's the same difference either way."

Sarah's hands were cold as ice even through the leather gloves Jareth wore, and her face was pale with worry, but she suddenly smiled, surprising him.

"I'm going to miss that, you know. Getting my way all the time was pretty nice." Sarah said.

"Ah, yes." Jareth agreed. "But it comes at such a price. Having to deal with subjects so stupid they'd go extinct if left to their own devices is really quite exhausting. I'm left with no time to enjoy the benefits my title affords."

He didn't want to let her go, but time was growing short. He would reorder time so that Sarah was sent back Above as soon as possible, but the woman looked weary and worn, like she hadn't had a good night's sleep and a decent meal in weeks. He wasn't sure if this would carry over to her body and life Above, and he didn't want to take any chances.

The castle knew where her room was and he conjured them there. Jareth looked around at the space, appalled by the furniture.

"Sarah, tell me the entire castle doesn't look like this." he pleaded.

"It doesn't." Sarah assured him tiredly. "Just this room."

"Why the hell did you decorate your room like this? I would have thought that_ you_ of all people would enjoy living in a medieval castle."

"I hate this room, and that's the point. I would start to forget my life Above when I lived here too long, and this space was designed to remind me of it."

Sarah walked over to the hideous Scandinavian wardrobe, opened it, frowned sadly at the lack of contents, and then stood in front of the full length mirror.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall. Give me something for bed. Nothing too small."

And then with a flash of magic, Sarah was wearing pajamas. The bottoms were printed with what appeared to Jareth to be skunks, though that couldn't possibly be right, and the top was a loose-fitting t-shirt with the profile of the asthmatic character that Aaron had dressed up as for Halloween.

"I guess that's what I asked for. Sort of." said Sarah, looking at her reflection without amusement.

"How did you do that, precious?" Jareth asked, intrigued. He reached over and gave the mirror a tap. That was nothing remotely magical about it.

"I have a thing for mirrors." she said. Sarah extended her hand, palm facing upward, and conjured a mirror. The action took what strength she had left and she reached out, grabbing Jareth's arm with her free hand for balance.

"It's not normally so draining!" Sarah exclaimed.

"You aren't holding my title any longer, precious. The things you used to do will prove harder now."

"I see." she panted, handing Jareth the mirror.

He doubted that she realized how personal it was to give someone something made of your own power. He took it gingerly and found that it didn't want to hover for him like it did for her.

"I'm more of an orb wielder myself." Jareth admitted, letting the delicate mirror rest in his hand instead. He willed it to show him the throne room and the looking glass responded immediately.

"You can control it nonverbally?" asked Sarah.

He nodded.

Sarah folded her arms, looking childishly jealous. "I have to 'use my right words' to get it to do anything."

He smiled at the familiar phrase. "Magic, like anything else, gets better with practice. I'll teach you, though you'll never be as good as I am, I'm afraid."

Sarah smirked at him and then laid down on the generic beige bed. Jareth noted that his quilt was her coverlet of choice and wondered what possessed her to take it from his room. It clashed with the overly sensible atmosphere with its dark colors and rich fabrics. For one wild moment he imagined that Sarah had been looking to have a small piece of him with her during the long, dark nights but then he banished the thought entirely. She had been clear enough before about her feelings, and he'd be damned if he fabricated some sort of longing out of nothing.

Her eyes drifted shut as soon as her head hit the pillow and Jareth felt the Labyrinth releasing its hold on her. She would awaken Above where she was born and where she belonged.

Her eyes snapped open and her face turned red. "You heard me sing." she said, voice thick with humiliation.

"Indeed." Jareth replied, gazing down at her.

She sighed and closed her eyes again only to open them a few seconds later.

"I never changed in front of you, did I?" she questioned in an embarrassed squeak. "I doubt I thought much about modesty-"

"Sarah, shut up and go to sleep." Jareth ordered gently. "You're over thinking things. I don't recall any incidents with indecency, and it wouldn't have mattered much anyway. When I'm an owl, I'm an owl. The most exciting thing that happened during my time with you Above was the opening of a can of fish."

Sarah thought about this and giggled. He let her.

"Goodnight, Jareth."

"Goodnight, precious. I'll be waiting."

Her eyes closed a third time, and this time they stayed that way.

* * *

Song in Title: Let's Dance by David Bowie


	25. Chapter 25: Pendulum

**A/N:** Summertime is busy, busy, busy! Thank you to everyone who has read, followed and/or reviewed! You guys are incredible. Free lemonade to you all!

A small warning to you guys: This chapter actually has a couple of F-bombs in it. There was no way to write honestly without some profanity slipping in. I gave it my best shot, but it ended up being essential. To those who are sensitive to such things, I apologize.

Please continue to read and review! Your comments make my day! :D

* * *

Consciousness came to Sarah slowly, and the first thing she became aware of was a throbbing pain in her head. With her eyes closed she could see pulses of light that danced in time with her heartbeat. It was nearly unbearable.

She didn't need to open her eyes to know that she was back in Hawford again. The revolting, nauseating pain always acted as her welcoming committee when she finally made her way back. Sarah moaned and tried moving her hand to the call button blindly, but to her surprise, her hand was in someone's grasp.

Sarah always woke up alone.

She gave the hand a squeeze and the person squeezed back, shifting their body and leaning over her. A cloud of perfume hit Sarah then and she opened her eyes, unwilling to believe what her nose was telling her. Shalimar. Only one person in Sarah's memory wore that overpowering and ostentatiously brazen concoction.

"Karen?" she asked, voice gravelly and low from disuse. Alarm filled her. "What is it? Is Toby okay?"

"He's fine, Sarah. Absolutely fine." Karen assured her as she punched the call button on Sarah's behalf.

"You mean they found him? Seriously?"

Karen nodded but said nothing more. The nurses came in and began asking Sarah questions, poking her, prodding her, and shining light into her eyes until she hissed. Then they finally drew back, promising to bring painkillers and gelatin cups as soon as the doctor cleared them.

All things considered, Karen looked pretty good. She had shadows under her eyes, and there were plenty of new wrinkles on her face, but overall, Sarah thought she had aged well. She would have expected more changes in her stepmother's appearance after over a decade, but Karen always knew how to take care of herself.

"So he calls me, out of the blue." Karen began. "He calls me, says he's safe and then proceeds to tell me that he's in New Orleans and that he can't remember how he got there. Then to top it all off, the little delinquent says he's not leaving."

"He can't remember how he got there?" Sarah echoed. "That doesn't make any sense."

"That's what I thought. But the doctors all tell me that his memory loss is legitimate, and they say that Toby should stay in the area until he remembers. The doctors at home are just as good as anywhere else, but no. He won't go." Karen said, looking thoroughly irritated. "I tried going to the police department, but they won't give me the time of day, despite the fact that for the next seven months, Toby is still a minor. It's unbelievable!"

"At least we know he's alive and well." offered Sarah. Sarah's mother had not been so lucky, and she hoped that Karen could see just how fortunate she was.

"Yes, Toby is alive and well. Which is more than I can say for you, miss." replied Karen as she gave Sarah a pointed look.

"This is probably going to sound rude, Karen, but what are you doing here?" Sarah asked. The shock of having an unexpected visitor was wearing off, leaving Sarah to consider how poorly timed this unwanted reunion was.

"Well, when I couldn't get Toby to come home with me and I couldn't get a hold of you, I figured I might as well make the trip to give you the news in person. Imagine my surprise when I went to your address, met that asshole husband of yours and found out that you were here. He answered the door hungover and naked, and he yelled at me until I drove off. He's a real peach, Sarah."

"That sounds like Daniel." Sarah groaned. "I'm sorry, Karen."

"How in the world did a girl like you end up with someone like him?" Karen asked, grabbing Sarah's hand tightly. "I want to hear the whole story, and I won't give you peace until you tell me. And how long have you been a narcoleptic? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Meds first." Sarah mumbled, closing her eyes and leaning back on the pillows. Twenty minutes passed without painkillers or food, and Karen being Karen, she went out and shouted at the nurses and doctors until someone finally gave Sarah a paper cup filled with two tiny white pills and an orange flavored gelatin cup. After so much time Underground, the artificial citrus flavor was offensive and overpowering, but Sarah swallowed it down anyway. It was nourishment, even if it didn't taste very nourishing.

"It's not narcolepsy. I have no idea what it's called." Sarah corrected after the painkillers had taken the edge off of the pain.

Honestly, she had no clue what this would be called. Modern medical science probably didn't have a name for involuntary realm shifting.

"When did it start?" asked Karen impatiently.

"It kind of started when I was fifteen, but it didn't become a serious problem until I was in college."

"So you just go into comas at random? And no one has bothered to figure this out?"

"They've certainly tried, Karen. But so far, there is no cure."

Karen mulled this information over, chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully. "And what about Daniel? How did_ that_ happen?"

Sarah stiffened. "You know how that happened, Karen."

"No, actually. I don't." Karen replied stubbornly. "How did you even meet him?"

"He was working at a restaurant near the campus. My friends made a habit of studying there in the evenings."

"That makes sense. He doesn't strike me as the college type. Why did you start seeing him? Was he always such a jerk?" Karen demanded, voice sharp and commanding.

Sarah sighed and closed her eyes. She could make Karen leave right now and never give her the satisfaction of knowing just how the ruin of her life came about. Pain flared and grief churned in her stomach, and Sarah decided that she had to face this regret once and for all. Getting it out in the open would help her to deal with it, and then she could move on.

Because she was moving on, no doubt about it.

Enough was enough.

"There was this party, and all of my friends were going." Sarah explained without looking Karen in the eye. "Daniel was there... someone had invited him. I've never been good with parties, but he came and found me, and we started talking. Small talk, nothing deep or even interesting, but we talked. And then someone handed me a drink, and I drank a little of it, thinking I was plenty old enough to party. I only took two or three swallows, but next thing I knew, I was waking up in bed the next morning, and Daniel was there, and apparently I had let my hormones get the best of me."

Something tickled Sarah's cheek and she realized that she was crying. She never wanted Karen to see how vulnerable she was, but there was no turning back now.

"And then Dad died, and I missed my period and found out that I was pregnant. Daniel decided that he needed to do right by his faith and he offered to marry me. I told him no, but then you cut me off until I 'got it taken care of,' and I felt like I had no options left." Sarah explained in a rush, like ripping off a band-aid. "I quit school and tried working, but the pregnancy made me way too sick to be able to hold down a job. The headache I have right now is nothing compared to the ones I had while pregnant with Aaron. And then Daniel begged me to marry him again. The eviction notice was on the door when he called, and I found myself saying yes, even though I didn't love him. We were married and moved within the week."

Sarah covered her face with her hands and cried, reliving all the painful memories of that hard, horrible time in her life.

"The rest of my life has been spent trying to please a man who is unpleasable and somehow raise my son without his father's issues tainting his childhood. We live in poverty, but at least we have a roof over our heads. I keep the place clean. We have food. I guess that's about as much as anyone can ask for."

Sarah looked over at the silent woman sitting beside her. Karen seemed surprised, and it angered her.

"How dare you act so shocked. What else did you expect? I called you begging for help and you gave me an ultimatum instead. Either get an abortion, or you're on your own."

"It was tough love! I was trying to get you to make the best choice for your future-"

"There was never a choice in the matter, Karen. No matter what, I was keeping my baby. You just made it unnecessarily difficult to do so."

"You can't blame me for the choice you made-"

"No, I'm not blaming anyone. And I suppose if anyone was to blame, it's my father for failing to draw up a will, or my mother for spending money faster than she could make it. But ultimately, I'm responsible. I chose to go to that party, I chose to drink, and I've been living with the consequences of my actions ever since."

"You could have called me-"

"And told you what? That I married an abusive jerk? That my husband drinks and beats me? That you were right? You had my number thanks to Toby, and you never bothered to call. I figured if you were interested in how my life was going, you'd get a hold of me."

Karen sat silent for a few minutes and then she stood stiffly. "Well, now that I know you hate me, I think I'll be going. But know this, Sarah Williams: Whenever you're ready to leave him, I'm only a phone call away."

Sarah sat up swiftly and grabbed Karen by the arm. The fast motion made the room swim. "I don't hate you, Karen. Keeping me from my inheritance wasn't the nicest thing you've ever done, but I forgave you for that a long time ago. You asked, and I answered, but I have no bad feelings towards you. I want you to leave here knowing that."

Karen stared down at Sarah and her eyes became damp. She brushed the moisture away angrily. "You are so much like your father." she said. And then she was gone, and Sarah was alone.

A moment later Daniel walked in the room and Sarah bristled inwardly.

"Glad to see you up and around, Sarah." he said. "Are you ready to go home, or are you planning on staying another night?"

Sarah didn't want to go anywhere with Daniel, but with exactly zero dollars in her pocket and a shared bank account that her husband kept perpetually drained, she didn't see how she had much of a choice. If she wanted to leave here without too much fuss, she would have to hitch a ride with her least favorite person.

She also didn't have time to spend another night in the care facility, even though common sense said that she needed it. If she could just get to Aaron and say her right words, she could fall to pieces Underground.

"Where is Aaron?" Sarah asked, causing Daniel to stare at her as if she were very strange.

"He's been staying at my dad's place for a while." he answered slowly. "We're going to meet up at the house to celebrate having you back, but it can wait if you need to stay longer."

"All I want is to see him." replied Sarah. "I'm more than ready to go."

"I figured as much."

Sarah changed into a shabby dress and was signed out and wheeled to the car. She reluctantly sat in the passenger seat, not looking forward to the long car ride with her husband. Daniel pulled out of the parking lot and Sarah looked down at her hands. They were plain and ringless, and Sarah decided she liked them better that way. Her wedding rings were in a plastic baggy in her pocket, and if Sarah had been able, she would have left them behind altogether.

"We need to talk, Sarah." Daniel said in a low tone.

Sarah set her jaw. "Not right now, Daniel. I'm not feeling up to it."

"Yes, now. We are talking about this now." he insisted. "I haven't been good to you, Sarah. I can see that now. You could have done so much better than me, even with your problems, and I know it. You know it. But we need to make this work. Aaron needs both of us. If we get on the same page, I think we can give our boy all he needs to have a good and happy life."

Sarah had heard similar monologues in the past and she kept silent, not wanting to piss off the driver of the car. His voice dripped with sincerity and humility, just like it always did when he thought he was getting close to losing Sarah.

It was never easy for Sarah to be someone she wasn't, but Daniel was a different story. When it benefited him in some way, he was an excellent actor.

"My dad was right in offering Aaron a college education. He deserves it. He's smarter than I'll ever be. Hard to admit that, but it's true..."

Daniel continued to say all the things he thought Sarah wanted to hear and she half listened. When they pulled to a stop in front of the house, dark, lifeless and empty, Sarah finally turned to him.

"I thought you said Aaron was here-."

"Aaron will be here when I call my dad and let them know that you're awake, but we need to get things hammered out before our boy comes home."

"I don't want to hammer anything out with you." Sarah growled, wanting with every fiber of her being to slap him senseless.

"Don't you take that tone with me, Sarah." Daniel ordered, voice stern. "I'm really trying here, and I expect you to respect that. I heard you talking to Karen, but I decided not to hold any of that against you. You have your problems, and I have mine, but we work through it. That's how marriage works."

Sarah moved to exit the car, intent on getting inside to call Henry, but Daniel's arm shot past her. He pressed down on the doorlock and held it down.

"Daniel, you let me out of this car right now." Sarah ordered, glaring at him.

He leered down at her and the car seemed to shrink in size.

"You're gorgeous when you're mad, baby." he told her, raking his eyes over her body. The old dress seemed flimsy and insubstantial under his gaze, and Sarah wished for her familiar armor to shield her from view.

She folded her arms over her chest and glared at him impatiently, waiting for him to stop this nonsense, but that only narrowed his focus to her breasts. She quickly put her arms at her sides, but his eyes lingered there.

"It's been too long, Sarah. I've remained faithful to you, but a man has needs. You have no idea how hard it's been for me." he said, leaning closer to her. As his breath fanned over her face it smelled like stale beer and cigarettes.

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you, Daniel? Poor, poor thing, having to stay faithful, even when his wife is too sick to meet his needs." Sarah hissed.

Her body was weak after her long convalescence, and her connection to magic had been cut off. She had no way of fighting back if he decided to hit her or worse, but cornered and trapped, she could take no more.

On a dime, he switched gears. He released his hold on the doorlock and moved back to his own seat.

"You're a bitch, Sarah." he spat, and Sarah got out of the car while she could.

"You know what? I've had enough of you!" Sarah yelled, unable to contain her rage any longer. "You're a louse, a scab and a drunk, and I can't take it anymore."

"You've had enough? _You've had enough?_ Had enough of being taken care of, Sarah? Had enough of being allowed to be a terrible mother and wife? Had enough of being loved when you don't deserve it? No. You don't get to be the one who says you've had enough." Daniel fumed. "I'm the one who's suffered here. You are the single worst thing to ever happen to me."

Daniel moved in front of Sarah, blocking her path to the door. "No one will _ever_ love you the way I've loved you. No one will ever be able to look past all your problems and love you unconditionally anyway, the way I have. You hid your flaws so well when we first met. Imagine how it felt to find out just how messed up you really were. But I loved you anyway. Is it too much to ask for you to do the same? To show a little mercy for my shortcomings? Marriage is a two-way street."

"Why does everything have to be all about you, anyway? All I want is to go inside and call Aaron. We can discuss things later." Sarah said, trying to reason with him. The last part was a lie, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to get through the door and to the phone.

"We're talking about this because I said we're talking about this, and that's that!" he yelled. "You're the worst wife on the planet! You're constantly harping on me like you're some sort of goddamned saint. You disrespect me in front of God and everyone else! You've usurped my authority in front of my own son and you challenge me whenever you're bored and have nothing better to do! And don't even get me started on the sex. Our sex life is shit and you know it."

"I've always tried to be the wife you've wanted, Daniel. As for sex, I've never ducked out of my duty as a wife, so I don't know what you're complaining about-"

"But that's just it, you self-righteous little whore." he seethed, face growing red. "Sex equals duty for you. It's like you're doing me a huge favor by spreading your legs for a quick fuck on a semi-regular basis. You just lay there, passive. I'm damned to a passionless existence as long as I'm married to you!"

"I don't know what else you expect from me!" cried Sarah, throwing up her hands in exasperation. "You treat me like garbage every day, and frankly, I don't love you. How could I love someone as cruel and mean as you are? If the sex isn't hot, that's not my fault. I refuse to be treated like I'm some flawed, worthless thing because the sex just isn't good enough for you!"

Daniel's face turned from tomato red to eggplant purple, and Sarah knew that her honesty was pushing him to the very edge of his extremely limited composure. His hands clenched and unclenched, and Sarah wondered why she had to be so stupid. A smart person would have handled someone as unstable as Daniel a lot better than she was right now, and belatedly, she prayed to God for wisdom.

Unexpectedly, he relaxed. His face regained its normal color, but his eyes turned cruel and gleeful. "You were a sweeter fuck passed out than all the other times we've fucked combined. If that isn't a flaw, I don't know what is."

Sarah stared at Daniel, wondering if she'd heard him correctly. He was watching her face intently, clearly waiting to see her reaction.

"What... what did you just say?" she asked.

He smiled. "You heard me."

Daniel had lied.

He had lied to her, and she had been gullible enough to believe him. She had been stupid enough to base the rest of her life on that lie.

"How could you, Daniel?" Sarah asked, stunned. She had known that he could be bad, but this was deplorable. Her shock quickly shifted to anger. "How could you do something like that? How could you enjoy being inside of me when I was unconscious? How the hell could you get off on something like that? How could you lie to me-"

"It was your own fucking fault for going to that party dressed like a slut. When you passed out, I just couldn't help myself." Daniel stated, as if he were explaining something perfectly reasonable. "I had been drinking too, but of course you won't remember that, selfish bitch that you are. I think you were a temptation sent to me by the Devil, and I failed the test. And now we're stuck together, our just punishment for all eternity."

"You're out of your mind if you think this relationship is anything but over, Daniel Hawford!" Sarah declared. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the bagged wedding rings. "As far as I'm concerned, you can take these rings and shove them up your ass." She threw them at him and they bounced off his chest, landing on the porch with a dull clink.

"I don't think so, Sarah. We're in this for the long haul. I'll take Aaron away from you if you try to leave." Daniel threatened calmly. "No court in the land would grant full custody to a mentally unstable mother who can't stay conscious long enough to raise her own kid."

That had always been the unspoken threat during their marriage, but as he said it out loud, it sounded ridiculous.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see." hissed Sarah. "Thank you for finally telling me the truth after all these long, horrible years together. It's kept me up at night, wondering what would possess me to jump you, drunk or not. You had me believing that I had turned into some wanton monster, launching myself at the first dick I laid eyes on like a bitch in heat. At least now I can reclaim some of my dignity as a human being."

"You're gonna regret this, Sarah. I promise you that." Daniel vowed. He smiled again, and Sarah knew that the rush of this conflict made him feel alive.

"You can burn in Hell for all I care." Sarah replied in a steady voice. "I'm breaking free from you. Enough is enough."

Sarah finally opened the front door. She heard a dull click, like the cocking of a gun, and then the house exploded in a blast of heat and flame.

* * *

Song in Title: Propane Nightmares by Pendulum


	26. Chapter 26: Body and Wine

**A/N:** I have added additional content to the beginning of Chapter 1. This is a one time thing... I don't plan to add anything more to previous chapters in the future, because that's simply too much work for you, my dear readers. Who wants to dig through old content? I don't! So when it's published, it's final! :)

Hope you're all having a marvelous summer!

* * *

When Sarah finally quit thinking and let herself drift off to sleep, Jareth carefully sat on the edge of the bed beside her. Within the next few hours she and her boy would be here with him indefinitely, and that thought wasn't an unpleasant one. On one hand, it would be an exquisite form of torture. To have the love of his interminable life within arm's reach yet untouchable would be almost too much to bear. On the other hand, having companionship would make his life on the outskirts a little less lonely.

He had always been alone and apart, separate and unlike all the rest.

Neither and other.

The goblins were good and loyal subjects, and Jareth found them to be surprisingly tolerable, but they were very poor company. It's hard to have a meaningful conversation with creatures who think "chicken" is the last word in any debate and who are perpetually, stupidly and blissfully drunk on a daily basis. No, the goblins were fine subjects for a King to rule, but that's where their usefulness ended.

The other creatures of the Goblin Kingdom such as the False Alarms and Fireys were best left to themselves. The rock caller and the Wise Man were much the same. Of them all, the fox knight and the worm could be counted on for a chat now and then, but Jareth was rarely that desperate.

There were fey in his kingdom now, but Jareth knew his own people too well to trust them. His fellow fey had always been unkind to him. These new subjects of his were probably loyal enough, having no place else to go save the realm Above, but that didn't mean that Jareth wanted to associate with them.

So yes, having someone else around would be refreshing. Even if she hated him, which she certainly would, once the truth got out.

Jareth knew without even conjuring one that his crystals would be unable to bring the woman into focus now that her soul was Above. The words: 'You have no power over me' rendered his above average scrying abilities useless in her case, but then his eyes fell on her mirror. He may be blocked, but the mirror was hers. Would it work?

He willed it to show him Sarah and it instantly complied. Another woman was sitting next to her in the dull white drabness of the room, holding her hand.

He watched as Sarah awakened and began conversing with the other woman, who turned out to be her stepmother, Karen. The sound from the mirror was tinny and off, and Jareth wished for the thousandth time that Sarah had never said those words.

But what's said is said.

Toby had been found. That was no small miracle, and Jareth wondered how it had come about. Toby was very powerful, even as a baby, and that may have contributed to his escape from Below, though Jareth doubted that the boy had been given the opportunity to hone his latent powers since returning home. He was relieved at the news but also disappointed. He had planned on finding the boy himself and giving him the option to stay Underground as his heir. Now that he was Above, he was unreachable.

Perhaps that was somehow for the best.

Silent moments passed in the little white room. Sarah appeared to be in a lot of pain, and Jareth guessed it was one of her headaches.

He felt guilty.

When the conversation turned from Toby to Sarah's condition and then finally to Daniel, Jareth knew he should break the connection and give Sarah some privacy. That's what any decent person would do. However, he did no such thing. Instead, he listened more intently than before, eager to hear the answer to a question that had been plaguing him since he had reentered Sarah's life: How in the world had Sarah ended up with someone like him?

The Goblin King was no gentleman.

Sarah told Karen about getting drunk at a party and waking up the next morning to discover that she had made some pretty poor choices in her inebriated state.

That didn't sound right to Jareth. There was something very wrong about the idea of Sarah letting sexual desires get the best of her. He had given her a peach for Heaven's sake, and all it did was create a dream of dancing in the crystal ballroom. The peach was a gift: The gift of experiencing one's deepest and darkest desires without any lasting consequences.

So much more could have happened in that fantasy. There was tension of a sexual nature, yes, but that was his own fault. Jareth couldn't be expected to play the role of Sarah's royal dance partner without things getting a little tense, even with his iron restraint.

Sarah had been fifteen years old at the time, and her deepest, darkest desire was a romantic ball where she danced the night away with a King. It was the stuff of children's bedtime stories. Teenage Sarah was pure of heart, and Jareth doubted that she had changed that much over the next few years.

Sarah's father had died right around the time that she found out about Aaron, and Daniel, being an opportunist, suddenly remembered his supposed faith and tried marrying her. Sarah wisely refused, but then Karen took over her late husband's finances and refused to give her money until she disposed of the unwanted child. When given the choice between her baby or her future, Sarah chose the baby.

She always chose the baby.

The Goblin King pondered her words as the mirror showed Sarah crying bitterly.

The bottom had fallen out of everything in her life. It had probably been brewing for a while, but it all came to a head during this series of events.

At the heart of everything was a loss of power. Sarah's power, personal, emotional, financial and perhaps even spiritual, had been bridled and bound by none other than Jareth himself. It was an accident, of course, but that didn't matter.

He could never make up for the time lost in her life, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try. As soon as Sarah and the boy were safe Underground, he would work with her to break the spell.

He would undo the curse if it killed him.

Karen was leaving then, and Sarah used her last moments with her stepmother to declare that she had forgiven her. It was noble of Sarah to put Karen's mind at ease before restarting her life Underground, but Sarah had always been noble. Wishing her baby brother away had been a serious deviation from the behavior Jareth had observed during the months of watching her from afar.

Was Sarah always the type to forgive so easily?

Would such mercy be extended to him when the day of reckoning dawned?

He rather doubted it.

Jareth watched Daniel's image fill the mirror as he stalked into Sarah's room shortly after the stepmother left. The man looked even worse than usual, clearly suffering the absence of his caretaker. While Sarah prepared to leave the hospice, Jareth kept the mirror trained on Daniel as he walked to the front desk. His wild eyes glared at the human so fiercely that he should have sensed it, even from a realm away.

As soon as Sarah was out of sight, Daniel appeared agitated and upset, running his fingers through his dirty blond hair and growling to himself.

The last thing Sarah needed was to go anywhere near him when he was unstable like that, but Jareth had no way to warn her. Sarah climbed into Daniel's precious car with visible reluctance and then sat, uncomfortable, as the man drove them home.

Daniel used the time with Sarah trapped in the car to simultaneously establish that he hadn't treated Sarah well and that Aaron needed both of them in his life.

Not one, but both, as if they as parents were a package deal.

In the mirror, it looked like Sarah and Daniel were sitting together inside a tiny room rather than the inside of a car. The idea of riding about in one of those metal death traps made Jareth's insides squirm. So much synthetic material! Iron and plastic and _worse._ How could humans bear it?

After Sarah endured the extremely long car ride, it turned out that Aaron wasn't really home waiting for her after all. This was a good thing because it meant that the boy was still safe under the barrier at his grandfather's house, but this was not what Sarah had been expecting. Daniel explained in his veiled way that Aaron wasn't coming home until they talked things out about their marriage, and Sarah finally lost her patience.

Daniel kept Sarah from exiting the car for what felt like ages, though it was really only a minute or two. He ogled her and made it clear that he had been faithful to her, which of course meant that it was her job to make up for lost time.

For one horrible moment, Jareth thought that Daniel would take what he felt he was owed right then and there, but then Sarah mocked him and brought sanity back to the moment.

Jareth had unconsciously tightened his grip on the mirror, and he had to force himself to relax his hold before he shattered it.

When Sarah was finally out of the car, she stood facing the man who had defined her entire adult life, and something shifted in her face. Her eyes flashed, her jaw set, and Jareth knew that Daniel was finally going to get what he seemed to want so desperately: A fight with Sarah.

She told him that she'd had enough. She yelled, calling him a louse, a scab and a drunk. Mild enough words, but said so angrily and passionately that they stung like the foulest profanity.

He countered with calling her a terrible mother and wife, undeserving of love and care. She had flaws and problems. She was messed up and without mercy. And because he accepted her, warts and all, he expected her to do the same.

When the argument turned to sex, Jareth was sorely tempted to cut the connection off, because hearing about that would be too much to tolerate.

Jareth wasn't stupid. He knew that every marriage involved sex, but he really didn't want to think about that part of their relationship. It seemed impossible that Sarah would consent to having intercourse with someone as vile and foul as Daniel was, husband or not. There was something of rotten cow about Daniel Hawford. His scent was that of a bovine corpse dabbed with a bit of beer and sprinkled with cigarette ashes.

Unappealing, to say the least.

Daniel did nothing to keep himself presentable, having no one in his life worth impressing with basic hygiene.

Daniel claimed that he was doomed to a life without passion because of his marriage to Sarah. To Jareth, this was laughable. In his opinion, the man probably never cheated on Sarah because doing so would take _actual effort._ He would have to drink a bit less and bathe a bit more, and he would have to try and act like he wasn't a complete louse until after he had bedded his target. That was all way too much work, especially in a town as small as the one they lived in.

Sarah blamed the lack of heat in their sex life on the fact that he treated her poorly. Then she told him that she didn't love him, and that he was cruel and mean.

Daniel wasn't used to being talked to like that, and his face turned murderous.

_Is he stupid enough to hit her so soon before the big family reunion?_ Jareth wondered.

Surely he saw that Sarah was tired of playing his games. Surely he knew that Sarah wouldn't cover for him anymore. If he exploded and did something dumb, he'd regret it. Did that thought matter to him now, or was he temporarily beyond caring?

The violent tension left Daniel's body and he unexpectedly grinned, appearing to have found another avenue for pain and hurt that didn't involve visible marks.

Daniel informed Sarah that she was better in bed passed out than awake.

Sarah looked as if she'd been slapped, which was clearly the effect Daniel was going for. He stood and watched her expression, amused and satisfied, looking like the cat that had eaten the canary.

_So Sarah **had** been taken advantage of during that damn party._ Jareth thought, furious.

Daniel then proceeded to blame the victim and play the martyr, as Jareth suspected was usually the case. It was Sarah's fault for how she was dressed. What else could have she possibly expected? He had been drinking too, after all.

Sarah threw her wedding rings at Daniel, and something shifted in the Labyrinth. It felt like it was preparing for a runner, and Jareth cursed the poor timing. Now that he had his name and title, the humans Above would recall the tales and begin wishing away their unwanted children once more, but that didn't mean he wanted to deal with that right now.

He closed his eyes and tried to see the runner, intent on spiriting the ill-timed person Underground and then nudging them into the oubliette to be dealt with later, but no one came into focus.

Suddenly, the mirror Jareth was holding exploded, sending glass shards all over himself and Sarah's sleeping form. The Labyrinth shuddered and someone was in the maze, but Jareth ignored them entirely.

_Only something terrible would make Sarah's mirror shatter like that._

He turned his attention to the body in the bed. Her eyes were now open and lifeless, staring up at nothing in particular. A golem could only last so long after the death of its creator, and this one already appeared to be fading. Jareth quickly leaned over the body and pressed his ungloved hands to her face, channeling his power into this familiar dwelling place for Sarah's soul.

If her soul could somehow find its way back, she could live, but only if this fragile body could withstand it.

Minutes passed, and he sensed that the runner had solved the maze, but he ignored them. A runner mattered nothing to him now. Sarah's eyes were still unfocused and soulless, but he refused to let this one last piece of her go. Jareth kept telling himself that it wasn't an impossible journey for her soul to take.

_Death is only final when the soul has nowhere else to go..._

It was a long shot.

It was more than a long shot... it was unrealistic hope, but he refused to think of anything except keeping the one last refuge for Sarah's spirit intact.

A wave of lethargy and pain hit Jareth then, and he felt very light-headed. Was this the cost of turning his back on his duty to the runner and the Labyrinth, or was it the energy he was pouring into Sarah's lifeless shell?

He couldn't tell.

It didn't matter.

If Sarah died, his own death would be quite welcome.

A light at the window caught his eye. It bumped against the glass like a moth trying to get to flame, and Jareth had the strange feeling to let it in, whatever it was. He willed the window to open and the light flew straight for Sarah, hitting her right over the heart. Sarah gasped and drew in a labored breath, eyes focusing on him before screwing shut in pain.

"I can't breathe..." she gasped, hands reaching up to clutch at her chest. She reopened her eyes and stared at Jareth desperately, as if willing him to understand. "It's too much. Too much..."

As her back arched off the mattress, Jareth's own chest constricted in sympathy, sending shooting pain through his body. "The pain won't last forever. Just hang on."

Glass cracked and popped as the golem was stretched and torn from the burden of holding a whole soul. If the golem was dispelled before Sarah's soul had the chance to take hold, Sarah would die, but he'd be damned if he let that happen. Jareth held her together as the displaced spirit settled itself, and then there was the sound of shattering glass as Sarah's body shifted from mirror to flesh in response to holding the woman's soul in its entirety.

By the time the transformation was over, there was more glass than bed beneath them.

With what remaining strength he had left, he conjured them to the bed in his nearby quarters, and there they slept, bleeding, exhausted and entwined. Jareth and Sarah would have slept for days on end were it not for the astonished shriek of a small goblin maid who discovered the sleepers.

Jareth cracked open an eye and studied the little goblin, trying to recall her name but failing. She had a large feather duster in one hand and a broom in the other, and this was completely wrong. Goblins sat around all day drinking, singing, eating and occasionally defecating. That was it. He had tried various methods to "inspire" his subjects to be productive, but most efforts failed spectacularly. Other than making mead, the goblins just didn't have it in them to be useful.

This well-groomed little goblin was a mystery to the Goblin King.

Sarah's breathing was still even and deep, so she had somehow managed to sleep through the ear-splitting scream. Jareth gave the maid a dirty look.

"Wake her up, and you'll be Bogged so fast, it will make your head spin." he threatened.

"Who are you? What happened to The Lady? Why are you and The Lady_ in bed_ together? You and The Lady has scratches all over! Blood, too..."

"Shut up." Jareth ordered softly. "I'm the Goblin King. 'The Lady' is hurt and needs rest. The scratches are minor and will heal in time. Now, who are you?"

_"You're_ the Goblin King?" she asked. "So The Lady found you! She looked for such a long time, readings and studyings to tries to find you!"

Jareth sighed. "Must I repeat myself?_ Who are you?"_

"Oh! I'm Bubble, Your Majesty." she answered, dropping into a perfectly decent curtsey.

"Well, Bubble. Leave us be until I summon you again. And speak of this to no one. I'm not ready to deal with any of my subjects just yet."

Bubble nodded and left. Jareth wondered if all of the goblins had pulled their act together or if that one was some freak of nature. Either scenario had Sarah written all over it.

Sarah was on top of him with her head resting on his chest. He dimly recalled rolling over and taking her with him before passing out. Her legs were tangled in his, and she had wound her arms around his torso tightly. Jareth imagined that she had probably never slept with anyone quite like this. He definitely didn't see Sarah clinging to Daniel during the night.

To him, this was yet another stolen moment. He shouldn't know how marvelous her weight felt against his chest or how her hair smelled when warmed by his own body and the rays of sunshine streaming through the window.

The more moments he inadvertently stole from this woman, the harder it would be to resist the temptation to keep her in the dark forever about the part he played in her unfortunate life.

It would be so simple to keep the truth hidden.

But that would make Jareth as bad as Daniel. The only option was to confess and tell her everything, no matter the consequences.

She shifted her weight and nuzzled his chest with a small sigh. Jareth bit back the responding moan at the sensation. He forced himself to turn his thoughts from the woman pressed against him to the circumstances that brought her back here.

Something awful had happened Above, that much was certain. Had Daniel lost his temper? Could he have killed her just like that? The last snippets Jareth had heard of their conversation had been vows of future woe and suffering, but it was all fairly civil and calm at that point.

What could have happened to kill her so quickly?

He thought back to the night so long ago when Daniel had a gun in his face. The only way Sarah could stop him was to physically block the rifle with her own body, but Daniel had backed off, even with how angry he was. If he had a gun lying around, he wouldn't have been stupid enough to kill his wife in a way that could be traced back to him. Everyone at the care facility had seen him leave with her. If she later turned up missing, or if she was found full of bullets in a ditch somewhere, Daniel would be suspect number one.

Sarah jerked awake with a small scream and sat up, staring around her with eyes distant and unfocused. Then she looked down at herself, taking in the ragged t-shirt and scratches all over her arms. She trailed her fingers over her skin and stared at her body, clearly trying to make sense of what she was seeing and feeling.

"Sarah? Are you alright?" Jareth asked, hating himself for asking such a stupid question.

Her eyes fell on him as if he had just appeared within her awareness. Her eyes widened and she frowned.

"You're covered in cuts!" she said.

He ignored that. "How are you feeling?"

Her face twisted and before he could react, Sarah was wrapped around him again, fully awake this time. Her tears soaked through his shirt and dampened his chest, and he found himself wrapping his arms around her in an attempt to comfort.

"I _burned."_ she told him between sobs. "All I could feel was fire. It hurt _so_ bad..."

"You burned? What do you mean by that, precious?" he asked, rubbing her back in small circular motions as she cried it out. "Last I saw, you were standing on the porch with Daniel. I missed what happened after that."

If Sarah was surprised at Jareth's eavesdropping, she didn't show it. "I opened the door. As soon as I opened it, I _knew_ something was wrong, but it was too late... I already heard the click. Next thing I knew, the house exploded all around me, and I was covered in flames." she cried harder. "Oh Jareth, I did something terrible!"

"What?"

"I didn't push Daniel out of the way. I had time. When I heard the click, I could have used my magic to shove him away, but I _didn't._ I let him die. I didn't even try..."

She cried quietly for a few minutes and Jareth held her, convinced that she was more than a little out of sorts from her ordeal. When she quieted down, he addressed her. "Sarah, you have no power Above, remember? You are used to magic from living Below and holding my title, but magic was inaccessible to you once you journeyed back Above-"

"No." she interrupted. "My connection to magic came back right before I opened the door. It wasn't as strong as it used to be here Underground, but it was there. What little bit I had wouldn't have been enough to shield myself from the blast, but it could have been enough to save him-"

"And why would you bother saving him? So he could be the one and only parent to Aaron? So he could take him away from Henry and batter and abuse him until he was finally old enough to live on his own? So he could sell Aaron out to the Organization? Saving Daniel might have been better for your conscience, but it wouldn't have served your son well."

Sarah drew herself up and looked Jareth in the eye. "What do you mean, 'the one and only parent to Aaron?' I'm still alive, aren't I?"

There was no easy way to tell her, so he opted for complete honesty. "You are _fully here_ now, Sarah. You are here, and Aaron is Above. I will do everything in my power to bring you back together, but it's going to take some time."

Jareth watched as understanding dawned on her face. It was painful to watch.

"How long?"

"I can't say for certain. I might be able to get to him next time someone wishes away their child. We might be able to commission a hunter to fetch him for us, though that idea is a bit of a long shot. Worst case scenario, we will simply wait for Beltane-"

"Aaron will be 13 by then."

"It won't matter. Only a child under the age of 13 can be wished away, but we're looking at taking a more circuitous route anyway at this point. Someone in Leonina's court owes me a favor, so it shouldn't be too hard to secure safe passage through her domain."

"I hate the thought of him being alone and defenseless for so long-"

"Your son is resourceful, and he's far from defenseless. As it stands, he has a powerful creature at his disposal. She obeys his every whim, and her strength is legendary, even by fey standards. The fields owned by the Hawfords are also protected by a powerful barrier that wards off any attack from outside forces. The Organization will have a very hard time breaching those defenses. It's not an ideal situation by any means, but your son will survive."

"Are you sure?"

"Quite."

Sarah nodded and stood on shaky legs, gazing out the nearby window without really focusing on anything. She kept wiping at her eyes and blinking, but the tears just kept coming.

"Aaron will be fine-"

"I'm thinking about Daniel." Sarah interrupted without taking her eyes off the horizon. "Do you think he's really gone?"

Jareth conjured an orb and gazed into it. The charred remains of the farmhouse came into view. It had literally burned to the ground. A few uniformed individuals were picking their way through the ashes and debris. The car had also been destroyed by the impact of the blast.

"I think it's safe to say that he's dead." Jareth told her.

She nodded without speaking as fresh tears ran down her face.

Jareth came to stand next to her. "I can't say I understand your grief. That man was a pathetic excuse for a human being. You said yourself that you didn't love him-"

"Daniel took_ everything_ from me. All he ever did was take. But in all those years, he never managed to make me sink down to his level. I wasn't perfect by any means, but I did my best to be a good person, and he hated me for it. He couldn't take that part of me away. But in the end, he did, didn't he? No good person would do what I've done-"

"It was necessary-"

"That's not what I was thinking! My last thought before death was that if I had to die, he was coming with me because he deserved it. No good person would think that way, Jareth!"

Jareth watched as she desperately tried to pull herself together. Sarah still believed in the idealized notion of going through life like a White Knight, untouched by the mud and mire of those around her. It was impractical, unrealistic and romantic.

_Time hasn't changed you much at all, you precious thing._

"Life is rarely black and white, Sarah. If it were, doing the right thing would be simple." he said, patting her shoulder awkwardly. "The truth is, good people sometimes do bad things and bad people occasionally do good. In my estimation, it's the final tally that matters."

"But I'm happy that he's gone-"

"I would be worried about you if you felt any other way. He didn't give you any reason to miss him, Sarah. That's not your fault."

"Lady! Kingy!" a goblin called through the closed door. "Runners has come to see you! They's Seelie, by the look of 'em. They demands an audience. What should I do?"

"Direct them to the throne room. I'll be there shortly." Jareth replied.

_News travels fast._ he thought grimly.

Sarah was staring at him intently, sorrow temporarily forgotten. "So they remember you now. How are you going to explain your absence?"

Jareth smiled. "That's another lovely thing about being King, dear Sarah. I answer to no one, not even the other courts."

Sarah frowned. "But they remember me too, don't they? How in the world are you going to explain a temporary Goblin Queen?"

"I'll come up with something. Have a little faith, precious."

* * *

Song in Title: Body and Wine by Jars of Clay


End file.
